Converge
by tanglingshadows
Summary: Before didn't matter anymore. All that counted was that they were together. Just two opposite souls standing at the edge of the world, holding hands and maybe hoping for more.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

* * *

When she was a little girl, she would run through the woods for hours, pretending to be a forest fairy, flitting about, singing, making friends with the animals.

The woods were her playground.

Now, she ran between the trees of her childhood, every nerve ending on fire with a panic spreading through her system that was right at the edge of making her freeze while telling her to keep sprinting. Keep surviving.

As sunlight filtered through the trees, she knew she'd outrun them, but she had no idea where she was. She'd never gotten this far out on her own before, or with anyone else for that matter. All she really knew was that she'd been heading northwest from the farm and she hadn't stopped moving for several hours.

The barn had burnt in the middle of the night, so she figured it had been a good six hours of continuous moving. Her lungs burned, and her legs had stopped aching and felt like lead weights. Still, she pushed on. There was no way she could survive outside on her own. She didn't know enough to protect herself or hunt for food.

If she didn't find her family again, she'd die.

She stopped and stumbled to lean against a tree before laughing deliriously at her weeks younger self. The one that was so traumatized by seeing her walker mother grab at her and try and eat her. The one that thought she'd hit rock bottom and wanted to die. If she'd have known then just how serious it was, and that one day, she'd see true devastation and that she'd really have to consider taking her own life at some point, she wouldn't have attempted it before. If she'd been serious, she'd have waited and went for a gun.

She sighed and slumped against the roots of the tree.

No telling where the others were. They had never decided on a meeting point, never thought that the farm would fall. Then all of a sudden it was too late for plans and walkers were on them. Every man for himself, or better yet, every family for themselves.

She wiped the sweat from her brow and leaned her head back against the tree. It was ridiculously humid for daybreak, and if she didn't get something to drink soon, she'd be in for it. Her daddy always told her, "three days without water, three weeks without food, three minutes without air." She had no idea if he was just repeating something he'd heard or if it was a fact. Usually, she took her father's word as law, and with the uncharacteristic fall heat, she figured she'd need water a whole lot quicker than three days if she wanted to keep functioning.

With that goal in mind, she picked herself back up, checked the small knife she'd grabbed on the way out of the house, then began walking.

To where, she didn't know.

* * *

A/N:

This story is going to be a big departure from what I've written before. It's a ZA AU, starting after the S2 finale. Beth is seventeen in this story and has a bit of experience and fire that I always thought she had, but we didn't get to see. The big difference is Daryl. He's twenty-three in this story, and I have a very good reason for this.

I wanted to play with his character when he was still cocky. I think as he got older, he got run down and jaded. You can't have someone like Merle for a brother and not have some false bravado and ego. I think he just grew up and distant as the years went on. I know a lot of readers immediately hit 'x' when the age gap is reduced because they think the author is making the story more palatable to all audiences, but that's not the case here at all. This was done as a exercise in writing for myself.

So, anyway, here's the new story. I guess it could be labeled as OOC. I hope you like it. If it's not your cup of tea, I understand completely, and here's hoping you like the next one :)


	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

I hope you like it! I forgot to mention in the last author's note that Daryl wasn't with the group at the farm. He and Merle's paths never crossed with the Atlanta group.

Chapters will get longer.

* * *

A few weeks after the farm fell, Beth was still stumbling through the woods. The weather was getting colder, but it wasn't so bad that she had to venture into town to find shelter. There were so many walkers there, and she was afraid of getting cornered. Most nights she slept in trees, but a few times she stayed in abandoned hunting cabins she had come across. For food, she raided little farmhouses in the country and one time she found a raccoon in a trap. That had been a truly awful experience that she never wanted to think about again.

She didn't find a trace of her family—not that she knew where to look. Beth wanted to stay on the move, though. Whenever she stood still, even for a night, she felt like the walkers that chased her through the woods were gaining on her.

To take her mind off that feeling or her family, she got to thinking about the world. She remembered Randall and what he had said about the group he had been with. They were scavengers, too, but not just food. She shuddered to think of what they would do to someone like her.

Beth bit down on her bottom lip and clenched her fists as she continued to walk on. She _hated_ not knowing how to defend herself. No one had thought to show her how to throw a punch. Sure, she had a little bit of practice with a gun, but that didn't do her any good if she didn't have one in her hand. Using a gun was a last resort anyway.

There didn't seem to be many options left for her. She couldn't keep going like she was. During the height of winter, she would die if she didn't find her family. She might have to try and find another group, but that scared her, too.

Beth sighed. It wasn't too cold, and she wasn't dying yet, so it was something she could put off for a little while longer.

* * *

She had been walking for hours since sunrise when she heard a shout, and she immediately crouched down and looked all around her. She listened closely and heard another far off shout a few seconds later.

Without thinking, she moved toward the noise. She wasn't going to run into the middle of something, but it would be stupid not to investigate it.

She must have walked a hundred yards all hunched down before the tree line broke. Beth hid behind the nearest tree, looking out on a small grouping of houses. It was in a clearing and there was a dirt road that led out through the woods and probably to a county road. Places like this weren't uncommon for the area. Families that got together and built vacation homes in little clusters so they could have a place to visit together or sometimes older family members would retire all to the same spot.

These people had found one and took advantage of its position. She wished that it was her people, but she saw no one that she knew. Ladies were walking around with baskets of clothes and men kept watch around the perimeter on high perches. Beth pulled back and looked harder, trying to find any reason to step out of the trees and show herself.

Her decision was made when a man stepped out of a nearby house and straighten his belt before he handed a grocery sack to the lady just inside. He looked scraggly and dirty. The woman inside the door was younger and holding her arms around her stomach like she was hurting.

Immediately, Beth knew what was going on, and she started to back away before she gained the attention of the lookouts. Beth had barely turned to leave when a man stepped up to her right.

He was only a little older than her, and a rough sort of handsome.

"Ya lost, baby doll?" He asked in a low drawl.

She looked him over and caught him smirking. Beth shook her head and looked up at the sky.

 _Why had she followed that noise?_

* * *

Her initial assessment had been right.

It wasn't a normal community of good men and women looking out for each other and shouldering the load together. It was a setup that was bound to occur in this new world.

"Ya stay here, we expect payment," an older man said as he checked her out. His hair was grey along with his beard, and he wore a shirt with pearl snaps buttons and embroidered roses along the shoulders. He looked like an old creeper cowboy. "Ya can live over there in tha house we got set up for tha women, or if one of these men feels up to it, he can take ya on himself."

Beth swallowed hard and looked over the men who had come to see the new prospective member of the female population thanks to the asshole that drug her into camp. Beth narrowed her eyes in his direction before she said, "Those are the only choices?"

"Pretty much," he said and leaned back in his chair. "Some of tha ladies end up in tha main house but most here are spoken for. Still, it's a lot easier to add to that stockpile, than claimin' your own woman and takin' care of her, too, so I guess it ain't much of a choice, but it's what we got. You'll have protection, food. Even a couple of nurses if ya get sick."

"This is bullshit," she muttered, feeling a familiar rage settle over her.

"It is what it is. Ya ain't gotta stay, but if ya do, it's to be expected."

"What's it gonna be, baby doll." The guy from the woods asked from beside her. She turned towards him and caught his stare. "Whatdoya want?" He asked quietly, his finger trailing down her check.

She slapped his hand away, and he must have seen the fire flash in her eyes because his grin widened. He wasn't like the others. Even when he wrapped his hand around her arm earlier, he had been gentle and goading. He just wanted to get a rise out of her.

"Not a damn thang from y'all," she whispered. "I'll take my chances on tha road."

He cocked his head to the side and laughed softly. "Can ya cook?"

"Not really," she said with a shrug.

"Do laundry? Keep a clean house?"

"Yes," she said and looked down the gravel path. She could find a tree to sleep in for the night that was far enough away if she left soon.

He nodded and went silent for a second. "Can ya shoot?"

Beth's eyes locked with his, pinning her in place. She was immediately taken back to Shane's shooting lessons on the farm and nodded. "Yeah, but I don't have a gun anymore."

"Can ya hunt?"

She was confused by all his questions and started walking away from him and the group of men that were staring at them now. "I've managed okay," she lied then added, "I don't know much."

"What's your name, sugar?" He asked as he followed after her.

"Beth," she said and kept walking down the road.

"I'm Daryl," he said and jogged to catch up with her. "Wanna stay with me?"

Beth stopped so fast that he walked a few steps in front of her before he stopped, too.

"Are ya serious?"

He nodded. "Dead serious. Ya need a place to stay, and I gotta admit, I don't wanna be by myself no more."

They looked at each other for a moment, each trying to gauge the other, before Beth said, "I'm not havin' sex with you."

"Ya don't gotta," he said with a shrug. "Who's to say in a few weeks that I haven't grown on ya. Made ya fall in love with ol' Daryl Dixon."

Beth eyes narrowed into slits. He had dirty, brown hair and blue eyes and was tall with seriously broad shoulders. The little smirk he shot her way tilted his lips up on one side and made him look completely innocent but extremely dangerous at the same time. He was a good-looking man, and she sorta hated admitting that to herself.

"So, you're gonna settle for my _company_ until I find my family?"

"What family?" He asked and took a step toward her, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets.

She crossed her arms over her chest and twisted her lips to the side. Once she got a hold of her emotions, she told him, "Our farm got overrun. I got my daddy and sister out there somewhere.

Daryl pulled up his shoulders and said, "I could help ya out."

Suspicion clouded her mind. "What's in it for you?"

"Not too much I don't guess. My brother went off and left my ass here a few months ago, so I ain't got no reason to stay. I'll help ya find 'em if ya give me a shot."

Beth snorted at his easy swagger. He was a mess, but she settled with saying, "You're persistent."

"It's the end of the world, baby doll. Options are limited, and you're the prettiest girl I ever remember seein'. I'll teach ya what I know about huntin' and trackin'. Ya give me a chance to prove to ya that I ain't some asshole."

She shifted uncomfortably as she felt herself give in just a little to that smile and his eyes. His hands went from his pockets to the crossbow strap across his chest and they held on tight. She wondered if maybe he was a little nervous, too.

"How old are ya anyway?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Daryl looked at her from under his eyelashes and grinned like he knew he won. "Twenty-three. What about you?"

"Seventeen."

"Not jailbait," he said with a bit of laughter in his voice.

She didn't respond, only studied him, trying to figure out just what his game was. After a couple of minutes, Beth took a deep breath. "Okay."

His smile got so big it lifted the other side of his mouth, too. "Really?"

"Yeah," Beth said with a nod. "Me and you."

"Damn, girl, ya don't know what ya got yourself into. You're gonna be fallin' all over me before too long."

Beth rolled her eyes and fought a smile. "Who's to say it ain't gonna be you trippin' over me?"

"Oh, I've got no doubt about that shit, sweetheart."

And just like that, a new almost friendship had begun.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so happy y'all are loving this story :)

* * *

The moment after she accepted his help, Daryl slung his arm over her shoulder and turned her back to face the camp.

"Won't no one hurt ya here," he said like he knew what she was thinking. "Not as long as ya stick with me."

Beth nodded, but her skin still crawled at the idea of what was happening inside the camp, and how it just wasn't right. These women were being abused and their fears were being preyed upon. It wasn't a choice they were given. Most of them would die on their own, so it was the lesser of two terrible things.

She remembered the look on the girl's face from earlier and shook her head. Maybe it would be better to die on your own terms than have these slimy bastards kill you slowly.

"I don't wanna stay," she said and leaned a little closer to him. He offered her a little strength to draw from, and maybe that's what some of the women here did, too. It was confusing and the lines weren't as straight as she had grown up thinking they would be.

"S'fine with me. I don't mind leavin'."

She turned her head and looked up at him to see he was already looking down at her. "I know what you're thinkin'," he said quietly. "Prolly ain't fair what's goin' on, but there'll always be people that take advantage of a situation."

"Did you?" She asked before she could stop herself.

Daryl snorted and shook his head. "Nah. I ain't a ladies man."

Her eyes widened at his words and she asked, completely shocked, "Are you gay?"

He laughed then, loudly, and hugged her tight to his side. "Nah, girl, I ain't queer. I just—I'm not good with women."

"That's unbelievable considerin' how you're actin' right now," she mumbled and shook her head. "Ya don't have to lie to me. I'm not gonna run away 'cause ya took part in the same thing other people are doin'."

Daryl sighed and shook his head. "I didn't," he said quietly. There was something in his eyes that softened and he gave her a tight smile.

"When can we leave?" Beth asked, changing the subject and looking away.

"Now," he said and dropped his arm from her shoulders. "No reason to stick around and make ya violent."

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked and cocked an eyebrow.

"Means that ya ain't nearly as stone faced as ya think. That knife's too little to start a fight with, though, sweetheart."

Beth's cheeks flooded with heat. "It's what I got."

"Well, now ya got me," he said like it was the simplest thing in the world, and maybe it was.

* * *

The leader hadn't been too concerned with Daryl leaving. He gave him a pat on the back and wished him luck. "Ya watch yaself out there. She looks pretty green, and ya don't wanna get eaten by rotters."

"Nah, Joe. I'll get her up to speed in no time." He squinted up at the old man who's back was to the sun. "Merle come around again tell him I said 'fuck you', okay?"

"Will do, son," Joe answered with a harsh laugh then walked back toward the middle of camp.

With that settled, they turned and set off down the gravel path. Daryl stopped by a cabin he had shared with a couple of other men and grabbed a pack then he led them out into the woods.

"Never stayed there really," he said as they walked away. "Don't even know their names."

"It's prolly best not to get too attached now-a-days," she said with a half-hearted smile. "So, what's your story?" She asked as they made their way through the trees. "You're brother really leave ya?"

Daryl looked over at her and his brow was furrowed. "Why the hell would I lie about that?"

"Sympathy," she answered obviously.

"Don't need your sympathy. Ya already think I'm nice lookin'." She opened her mouth to say she didn't, but he kept talking. "He really left me. He's seven years old than me, and we ain't never been close. Think he was gettin' restless and didn't want me holdin' him back. Merle's always gotta purpose in mind. I like to meander."

"Meander?" She asked with a little bit of a laugh in her voice.

"Yeah, just take a slow pace, look around." He made a few exaggerated steps in slow motion with that same damn grin in place. "What the fuck have I got to do now that the world's over?"

"What did ya do before it ended? Were ya still meanderin'?"

For just a moment, a shadow crossed his eyes before he pulled it all back together. "Depended on what I had to do for my old man."

"Oh, so you worked for your dad?"

Daryl shook his head. "I can't remember that asshole ever holdin' down a job. Hurt his back and got disability when I was eight. Left him plenty of time to sit around tha house, drinkin' all his money."

Beth nodded and looked over at him. "I guess it'd be nice to get away from that."

Daryl shrugged, going uncharacteristically silent. She had only known him a few hours though, so maybe he was crazy and had ups and downs. That would be her luck.

"What about you?" he asked. "You finishin' up high school or somethin'?"

Beth nodded. "Yeah, but I never really liked school to be honest. I was goin' to Atlanta on the weekends to sing at open mic nights at these dingy little coffee shops." She smiled at Daryl. "I wanted to see my name in lights, ya know?"

Daryl looked shocked for a moment. "Your family all on board with that?"

"Not really. I still lived at home with momma and daddy, and they would give me some looks when I left on Friday afternoons. My sister, Maggie, lived in the city, so I'd stay with her until Sunday then I'd head back. As long as I kept my grades up, there wasn't a problem. They didn't exactly support it, but they were open-minded enough to let me try."

He grunted an acknowledgement then said, "Sing somethin'. I ain't never had a big star walkin' beside me before."

Beth felt her cheeks heat up. "I'm not a big star. I barely had anyone pay attention to me really." She paused and bit her lip before whispering, "The week before everythin' got terrible, and we had to stay put, an agent called me. She was lookin' for new talent, and I was supposed to email her a few of my songs. That obviously didn't pan out."

"Go on," he said and waved his hand for her to start singing.

She started singing the first song that popped into her head, an original one she had written after she had listened to Maggie sit up all night, talking about some guy she was in love with that was way older than her.

By the time she was done, Daryl's ears were a little pink, and he was staring straight ahead.

"S'good." He cleared his throat. "Ya got a real nice voice."

"Thank you," she said with a grin. "My sister really didn't like me usin' her stories for inspiration. Especially when she took a guy to one of my open mics, and I sang a song that I'd written about him, my sister, and his girlfriend."

"How'd he know?" Daryl asked in a gruff voice as he fumbled with his lighter and tried to light a cigarette.

"Pretty sure an audience shoutin', 'Take home, Julie!' and referencin' the one romantic encounter he had with my sister clued him in."

Daryl snorted and took a deep pull from his cigarette before blowing out little rings. After a few seconds, he said, "I like ya. You're cool as hell."

"Not really."

He shrugged and pointed through the trees at a small cabin. "We'll stay here tonight. I used it when I needed to get away from everyone over in Locust Grove."

"Locust Grove?" She asked as she walked behind him to the little log cabin. It couldn't have been bigger than the living room at the farm.

"That's what they call that place 'cause that's the name of the nearest town," he said and pulled open the door.

Beth started to walk through the moment a walker staggered out. She yelped and fell backward.

"Fuckin' hell," Daryl groaned. "So damn sorry, girl. Shoulda checked."

He didn't move fast at all just walked right up behind the walker that was fixated on her, wrapped a forearm around its forehead and pulled it back, slamming his knife in through the back of its skull.

When he let go, the walker fell with a thud beside her on the ground. She stared up at him, wondering just where the hell that had come from.

"How'd ya do that?" She asked as he helped her up.

"What do ya mean?"

Beth shook her head. "I've never seen someone use a knife to kill 'em before until after they've already been shot and taken down. Ya just put your hands all over one and didn't even hesitate."

"He was comin' at ya," Daryl said after he took a drag from the cigarette that hadn't even fallen from his lips.

"Wow," she said quietly. "Just wow."

Daryl followed her inside the cabin, shaking his head. "Ya act like I did somethin' amazin'. I killed a rotter. Pretty standard now."

The sizing of the cabin was about what she estimated, maybe just a hair bigger. There was a cot along one wall and small table with a chair. That was about it.

"You can have the cot. I'll sleep by the door to keep an ear out. Tomorrow, if ya want, we'll go to your farm and see what we can find out."

"They all left," she said. "I don't have a clue where they went."

"I'll look for tracks," he said and pushed the chair up under the door handle then took off his pack.

"You can do that?"

"'Course I can. What kinda hunter would I be if I couldn't?"

Beth shrugged. "I've never known a hunter before."

His grin turned suggestive. "What other things haven't ya known before?"

"Oh, Lord." Beth rolled her eyes and started straightening the blanket on the cot, so he wouldn't see her cheeks turn red. "There's a sweet boy named Jimmy that had those honors."

He tilted his head and shrugged. "I ain't sweet or a boy, so I guess I got that goin' for me."

"Whatever." She huffed and laid back on the cot.

"Sugar, I've known your ass less than half a day, and I bet ya walk all over 'sweet' anythin'."

"Ya didn't know me before all this."

Daryl opened the pack and pulled out a can of beans and can opener. "Might not've, but I can sure as shit guarantee people don't change all that fast."

Beth sat up on the cot and fiddled with the bracelets that covered her scar.

"I've changed a lot."

He snorted. "Sure."

When Daryl walked over and sat down on the floor of the cabin beside her feet, Beth split the bracelets to show her scar and moved it in front of his face.

"I did that after."

Daryl froze and stared at the pink line of raised skin. "After what?"

"After the walkers. After my momma and brother got shot in the head." She paused. "Nearly three months ago?"

Daryl nodded. "Ya seem a lot better now."

"I didn't wanna die."

"What did ya want?" He asked quietly then spooned some beans into his mouth.

"I thought I wanted to die until I saw tha blood then I got scared. I wanted more time."

"Ya ever think people do that and realize they want more time, but they can't go back?"

Beth pulled her arm to her chest. "Probably."

They ate in silence, and once they were finished, Daryl took the can and walked to his pack.

"Ya got that fire," he whispered. "Just chalk full of piss and vinegar. Never woulda guessed."

Beth shrugged. "We all hide things. It's why I wear tha bracelets. I ain't weak. I just had a weak moment."

Daryl hummed and checked the door. The sunlight coming through the window was dwindling, and Beth laid down and closed her eyes.

A little while later, when the room was fully dark, Daryl cleared his throat and said, "When I was ten, my momma burned the house down. Merle was seventeen and off on his own, and I was out with the neighborhood kids. They said it was an accident. That she'd fell asleep smokin', but I don't think it was. Our old man had been home, drunk as a skunk, prolly passed out.

"The firemen got him out, but they couldn't save momma. I don't know why she'd do it, but she'd never have left me on my own with him. She was tryin' to take 'em both out."

"Why?"

"She wanted better for me than how he'd done Merle and her."

"What did he do?" she whispered, her chest aching for him.

"Got some marks of my own," he said and got real quiet.

"Why ain't ya meaner?" Beth asked after a few quiet moments.

She could hear him moving around in the dark. "Don't wanna be nothin' like him. I got his name and his eyes. That's enough."

They stopped talking, and Beth laid there thinking about the day's events.

She might not have known him well yet, but Daryl was someone she could trust. For the first time in months, she slept through the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I'm so happy that you love the story, and thank you so much for reading!

* * *

"This is a fancy house ya got here, sugar."

They had walked all day, but finally reached her family's farm in the early evening hours. Daryl was still his usual flirty, smug self, but he didn't touch her or try and lean up on her. He was respectful and sometimes looked downright shy.

"It's been in my family for over a hundred years," she said as she walked up the porch steps.

"Damn. You're old money then."

Beth snorted. "I don't know about that. My daddy got outta this place as soon as he could. I heard him tell my momma once that his father was the meanest person he'd ever known. He didn't come back here until after they put him in the ground."

Daryl hummed at that and knocked on the doorframe.

"There's no one here," she said and reached for the doorknob.

"It's to make sure there ain't no walkers wanderin' around inside. We knock. We listen. It's what I shoulda done last night at the cabin. Didn't figure someone would drag themselves in there to die, though."

"I'm tellin' ya, they all left."

"Might not be one of y'alls."

Beth couldn't argue with that, so they stood in silence, and after knocking again and waiting a minute, Daryl opened the door and let them inside.

"Did ya look 'round when we were out there? Saw lots of bodies, but I don't know your people." He spoke as he searched each room, his crossbow raised and ready.

"No," she whispered. "I didn't."

He nodded, and after they cleared the bottom floor, he went back out on the porch. "Let's look. We'll sleep here tonight for sure."

Beth stood frozen on the porch. No matter how much she told herself to move, she couldn't make her feet obey.

"C'mon, girl," he said and took her hand. "Let's get this done with."

She linked her fingers with his and held on tightly as she walked down the steps and into the yard.

After circling the property, twice, she had only seen Patricia, or what had been left of her. The RV was burnt out next to the barn, and she wondered if Jimmy got out or if he was still in there, just dust.

"All right," Daryl said once they got back inside. "How many people ya go out there then?"

Beth took a huge breath. "It's just my daddy and Maggie that I really know. I don't know if Jimmy got out of the RV or not." Daryl looked to the barn and RV and his lips pressed together. He didn't think anyone made it out of that, but he didn't say it. His facial expression was enough. Beth cleared her throat and said, "Another group had shown up a few weeks before the walkers came. There was a man that used to be a cop, Rick, his wife Lori and their son, Carl. Glenn, who Maggie had been sneakin' around with. Andrea, she—well, she was the one who helped me get by myself so I could try and slit my wrist." Daryl's head snapped in her direction but she kept going. "T-Dog and Carol. She had a daughter, but when they opened the barn, she was in there."

"What?" He asked, and Beth shook her head before launching into that story. By the time she was done, Daryl was staring at her like she was insane.

"I know," she whispered.

"So, ya don't know shit about rotters, do ya?"

Beth shook her head and looked down at her hands.

"Okay," he said and blew out a heavy sigh. "Most important thang is that ya can only kill 'em by destroyin' their brain. Ya do that any way ya can, but it's better to be quiet, so ya don't draw more of 'em to ya. That's why I use my knife a lot or my bow.

"Next thang ya need to know is that ya don't gotta get bit to turn. We all go that way, sweetheart. Don't matter how your heart stops if your brain is still in workin' order."

"We're all infected?" Her voice was hollow just like her chest.

"Yeah."

"If I had really killed myself, you're tellin' me that my sister woulda opened tha door and found a walker?"

Daryl shook his head. "Depends really. The process varies from person to person. I've seen someone take hours to turn, and someone only take minutes."

"Hours? Minutes?" Her voice was barely audible.

He shrugged. "My pops got attacked by one out in the woods. Didn't get bit, had a damn heart attack or somethin'. I put tha walker down, and he died a few minutes later. I just sat there for a long time. It was almost dark when he started to wake back up. That's how I know ya ain't gotta get bit."

"What about scratches?" Beth asked, thinking back to the walker that had attacked Dale, another man from Rick's group. He wasn't a great example seeing how his stomach had been ripped open, but the walker used his hands. What would happen if there was just a tiny cut?

"Ain't never seen someone with a scratch. I've had rotter blood all over me before, and I ain't turned yet."

Beth stood up and walked into the kitchen, opening up the cupboards and seeing the canned food still there. No one had been back despite the cache of food. Her heart dropped even more.

"Let's have some of those peaches," he said and reached around her. "Been so damn long since I had any."

"Betcha we could walk through tha orchards when tha time comes and find some."

"Sure could. I did that before all tha time."

"Ya didn't pay, did ya?" Beth cut her eyes at him as he started opening the can.

Daryl smirked. "Nope. Just walked through the woods, grabbed a few then went back to huntin'."

"Rebel," she whispered and his grin widened.

* * *

"Should this be our base camp?" Beth asked after they finished eating.

"Need a central location so that we can look, but have a safe place to go back to each night. Or if tha weather gets bad, we need to have a place to hole up." He looked up at her and shrugged. She could already tell that he didn't think this was the best place for that, but he didn't want to say that to her. "This is a good house, but—"

Beth cut him off to save him from making her sad. "They're long gone from here," she said and looked over the house. "No one came back. This won't be central to anythin'."

"Especially with it bein' in tha middle of nowhere," Daryl added with a hesitant nod.

"So, we leave." Beth's voice was quiet and more than a little unhappy. This could very well be the last night she spent in her home. She always knew she would leave one day, but not like the last time, and not like this time either. She had certainly never thought about leaving home and never coming back.

Daryl moved toward the stairs and pointed up with a mischievous grin. "Ya ever fool around in your own bed or just in a hayloft?"

Beth flushed red, her previous thoughts completely gone away for a moment. "What? How'd ya know it was a hayloft?"

"Just a hunch," he said and yawned. "We gonna share a room at least? I'd feel better knowin' you're right there if somethin' goes down."

"That's fine. We'll just stay in tha guest room. It's got a full size bed. We can share."

Daryl waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Lord, help me," she laughed and shook her head.

They laid in bed later, Daryl on his back while she was turned on her side away from him. She liked being close, and she almost turned over a few times to lay against him, but she didn't want to get in his space like that. No matter how much he joked with her, there was always something around the edges like he thought she was going to slap him or push him away, so she wasn't sure how much touching he wanted someone else to initiate.

She sighed and nuzzled into her pillow. It was good not to be alone anymore, and it was nice to be home, even for a night.

Daryl shifted behind her and wrapped and arm around her waist. "Is this okay?" He asked quietly.

Beth touched his hand and squeezed before pushing it back under her pillow. "Yeah."

He scooted closer to her and laid his forehead on her shoulder. He must have fallen asleep within minutes of holding her, and she realized that Daryl had a way of bringing her out of her sad thoughts that no one else ever had.

It might have been crude humor or just a facial expression, but he had made her smile and feel safe.

With his arm around her and his soft snores filling the room, she knew that she gave him something in return and it had nothing to do with the possibility of sex and everything to do with companionship.

* * *

The following day they started early, and Daryl just smiled at her when he got up and out of bed. He didn't make any jokes, and Beth didn't ask him what it all meant. It was simple and easy.

They walked outside to look over the tracks and yard, and the lightweight feeling she had when she woke up quickly turned to discouragement.

"Everythin's all faded," Daryl said as they walked around the farm. "I can tell ya one thang for certain, though. They all got away by vehicle."

"How do we track 'em then?"

"We don't." Daryl looked out over the pasture. "We need a map and to think of some secure places in the area. It's winter. They'd've wanted to settle down, and they'd've needed someplace close by to scavenge from. Then we take day trips."

"What if they just decided to stay on the run in this area?"

"Then we'll run into 'em sooner or later."

He bumped his shoulder against hers and asked, "Your daddy got a map around here?"

"Yeah." She turned to walk inside and he followed after her.

They spent that morning, looking over the map and thinking about places near their location where the group could have ran to.

"Any hospitals or fancy private schools?" Daryl asked as they sat at the table.

"There's a private school in Grantville with a stone wall around it. It's short though, so I doubt it would be any protection. Hospitals scream 'Walkers are here!' to me, so I don't think they'd go there."

He hummed. "Prolly right on both counts."

"If they weren't so damn far out, I'd say they went to one of those nice, gated communities outside Atlanta, but the trip down the interstate would end up killin' 'em."

Beth laid her head on the table. "What other places have fences and strong doors?"

After a few seconds, Daryl cleared his throat. "There's a prison a couple hours away."

She looked up at him. "Ya think it wouldn't be overrun?"

He shrugged. "My dad got locked away once, and we visited him there. There were a couple of gates that separated the yards from the rest of tha prison. Maybe we could take a small section of it at a time."

"Wait," Beth said and sat up. "We?"

"Yeah," he said with a nod. "We can do it."

"I've never even killed a walker before. I took shootin' practice with Rick, but that was it," she insisted and shook her head. "What if we're wrong, and they come back here?"

"We'll leave 'em a note or somethin'. If they come back, they'll go to tha cabinets. Just tell 'em you're alive and you're goin' someplace safe."

"I don't want bad people findin' it and followin' us."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "Just say, you're goin' to a place that Rick could have worked at."

"That could work," she whispered and started playing with the bracelets at her wrist. "I want to take some stuff from my room. We should prolly get some winter clothes and blankets, too."

Daryl grinned at that. "Best warmth durin' tha cold is body warmth."

"You're like a fifteen year old boy."

"Take what I can get." The laughter in his voice made her want to smile.

Beth ignored him and stood up. "I'll start gatherin' stuff up, and I guess we'll leave tomorrow mornin'?" She bit her bottom lip and prayed for an extra night. It was just after lunch. They had plenty of time to get their stuff together and start out, but she desperately wanted one more night.

Daryl must have seen the pure longing in her eyes because his face softened and he nodded. "Looks like it, baby doll." He circled a town on the map and folded it back up. "Movin' into our first house."

"A guard tower isn't a house," she argued and cocked an eyebrow.

"I'm just givin' myself room for improvement," he said and held up his hands with a shrug.

Beth tried to hide her smile but couldn't so she just turned around and walked up the stairs as he stood at the table, that same stupid smirk still plastered across his face.

"I'ma wear ya down, girl," he hollered when she was out of sight. "Just ya wait and see."

He wouldn't have to wait very long. Three days, and she was already crushing on him hard.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

This one is long! There wasn't a good place to break it, so I just kept it intact. This week has been so crazy with school starting for my oldest and getting back in a routine. I really hope you all love this chapter.

If I can start writing regularly again, I can get further ahead. If I get it complete, I can update it twice a week instead of one :)

* * *

Daryl left her at the farmhouse in the middle of the afternoon to try and find a vehicle. There wasn't a single one left at the farm, but there was a little gas in her daddy's shed. She wanted to go with Daryl on the search, but he told her to sit tight. That he could move faster without her, and she could use the time to get the stuff she wanted from the farmhouse.

After she finished packing as much as she could, she laid down on the couch and thought about what they were about to do.

The prison was a great idea, but Beth also knew they would have to travel on the road to get there, and that worried her. She had avoided all roads, even county ones, since she had ran from the farm.

Beth remembered watching a news broadcast of the traffic trying to get out of Atlanta when everything was getting really bad. Two lines of cars stretched down the interstate out of the city and no one was moving. Some people had abandoned their cars altogether and were carrying backpacks down the side of the road. It was a mass exodus, and Beth couldn't stop watching the screen as her heart beat harshly against her chest. She was terrified for them and for her family.

Then there they were. Just like at the farm that night.

The man in the helicopter couldn't find words as he watched a swarm of the undead stumble around the cars, grabbing people that stood outside and couldn't run. Yanking people out of open doors or leaning down into cars and biting whoever was within reach. She stared wide-eyed and shocked, her stomach sinking down to her toes and vomit rising in her throat.

Her daddy hadn't said anything at all, just took his wife's hand as the television stream cut to black.

It never came back on.

After a few days of watching out the windows, things went back to normal. For the most part, at least. The electricity went out the day after the television went out, so they had to depend on generators.

Her daddy and Shawn went into town and raided shops and places for gas. They said everyone was hiding, and it wasn't a big deal anymore to take what you needed. Everyone would have to do things to survive now, he had said. Luckily, they had the farm and their garden. They had chickens and other animals.

They would never want for food, so it was gas and medicine that sent them out.

On one of those trips, they came rushing back with full gas cans, but Shawn had gotten jumped as they were loading the truck and a huge chunk got taken out of his arm. Daddy had fought the thing off with his hatchet, and he tried so hard to save Shawn.

He never left his side, and put cold clothes over his forehead and tried to get him to drink water. Maggie and Beth weren't allowed anywhere near him, and her daddy would have banned her momma, but she had looked him square in the eye and said there wasn't a chance in hell she was leaving her boy.

During the hours that Shawn was moaning out in pain and deliriousness, Otis and Patricia showed up with Jimmy. It was good to have more people in the house, but at the same time, Jimmy's presence made everything seem so surreal. Just weeks before she was going on dates and rounding bases with him in the backseat of his daddy's truck. Now, she was barely meeting his eyes and listening for every sound that came out of Shawn's room.

Shawn must have died during the night while everyone was sleeping. Her parents had been in the room with him, and he went for their momma first. Maybe it was because she was right beside his bed or his eyes just caught her first.

The whole house woke up with her screams as Shawn, the new Shawn, the dead one, ended his mother's life and destined her something far worse than death.

Otis and her daddy managed to restrain Shawn and put him out in the barn, locking the door behind him. A few hours later, her momma got taken out there, too. Beth watched from her bedroom window as her momma gnashed her teeth at her father and Otis. She couldn't stop the tears streamed silently down her cheeks.

That was the moment things changed for her daddy. He didn't talk about it getting better or easier with the hope he had before. It was a single-minded determinedness that had him and Otis bringing in walkers from the woods and stuffing them into the barn with Shawn and her momma.

Her daddy said the walkers were just sick and a cure was coming. Months passed and the only thing that came were more walkers. Each one got placed in the barn so they could be helped when the cure was discovered.

It seemed like the more he said it out loud, the more he believed it. It made her believe it. Her daddy was never wrong.

But then Rick Grimes showed up on their doorstep straight from the CDC.

There was no cure.

Then Daryl Dixon had dropped the next bombshell.

They were all infected.

There was no escaping that fate unless you had someone sink a blade into your brain or put a bullet there when you were gone. It seemed so pointless.

She looked around the living room and glanced over the pictures on display. There was still hope. She could still find her family. Still make a life.

Beth shook her head. This couldn't be how everything ended.

* * *

When it was nearly dusk, she heard the roar of a motorcycle. Her heart started racing, and she ran to the window to peek through the curtains and slates of wood.

"What the hell?" She whispered to herself and went for the door. Once she was on the porch, and he had killed the engine, she asked disbelievingly. "Why the hell would ya take a motorcycle, Daryl? It's so loud. Ya just preached at me for bein' quiet 'cause they're drawn to noise."

Daryl patted the handlebars and shrugged. "It's good on gas, and I don't give a fuck if it's too loud. Always wanted one, and this one here was just ripe for the takin', plus it had a full tank of gas. It was like God led me to her."

Beth shook her head. " _Her?_ Just how are we supposed to carry all our things on _her_?"

"Ya scoot up to me as close as ya can, and we'll tie down the bags." He smirked. "Ya jealous of my new girl?"

"There's two big duffle bags, Daryl." Her patience had run out, and she took off back toward the door. "And no, I'm not jealous of a freakin' bike."

"Coulda fooled me, sweetheart!" He hollered right as she slammed the front door.

He came in a few minutes later and slung and arm over her shoulder. "It's gonna be fine, I promise."

"What if we run into a big group of 'em?"

"It'll be easier to turn around." He answered like it was the simplest thing in the world.

Beth sighed deeply and without thinking, leaned her head against his shoulder. To his credit, he didn't say anything smart, only squeezed her in a side hug then moved away after a few seconds.

"Let's eat," he said and opened the cabinet.

She knew what he was seeing and expected him to get upset that she had packed everything but two cans of beans, but he didn't saw a word. He didn't even look upset. Daryl pulled them out and went to his pack for a can opener. Once he had them open, he sat down at the table and motioned for Beth to sit with him.

"Once we get settled at the prison, I'll start huntin' again. I'll even show ya some thangs, so ya know what to do, too."

"I don't really like huntin' too much," she said quietly, remembering the raccoon, and ate from her can.

"Why not?"

Beth shrugged. "Just not really good at killin' things."

"You'll have to if ya wanna eat. I might not always be around."

An uneasy feeling settled in her stomach. She didn't want to be alone again, and she really liked being around Daryl. Beth didn't tell him that, though. She just said, "I know. I'll try."

"I'll find ya a bow," he said through a mouthful of food. "Teach ya to be a good shot just like me."

She didn't think that would be possible, but she nodded anyway.

The rest of that night, she kept quiet. She walked from room to room, and Daryl kept his distance. Beth figured he knew she was saying goodbye to everything. When she got to the mantle, she took a picture down and stared at it for a moment before she walked over to their backpack and stuffed it inside.

She put it there instead of the other ones because this was the one they always wore, and it probably wouldn't get left behind. She wanted to keep that picture of her family, especially if she wasn't going to see them again.

* * *

Early the next morning, they got started toward the prison on the bike.

Beth tried to push her thoughts away from how she woke up curled around him that morning or how warm he was. She also didn't want to think about the sweet smile he sent her way before he woke up fully and could turn it into a smug grin.

She had this feeling that Daryl wasn't the cocky guy he put out in front, but she wasn't sure how to get him to open up to her.

So, instead of getting into Daryl's head, she got up out of the bed, and he followed. Then they strapped down the two big bags, Beth wore the pack, and held onto Daryl as they sped down the little county road route he had mapped out.

Daryl had wanted to avoid the big roads at all cost, and so did she, so she didn't fight him when he said the quick two-hour trip would now take four because they were crisscrossing the county.

She had brought up maybe running into her family by going through the towns, but he just told her they would start looking tomorrow just like they had planned. They would make an ever-expanding circle.

There were walkers all along the road, most had stumbled out of the woods at the sound of the motorcycle, but none of them ever got close enough to the bike to do any damage. Most of the time, Beth just closed her eyes and pretended that they didn't exist at all.

Around mid-day they passed a sign, _Don't stop for hitchhikers. May be escaping inmates._

"Gettin' real close," he yelled over his shoulder.

The paved road turned to gravel, as Daryl turned right and up the driveway. Once the prison came into view, Beth groaned.

Daryl had been right, the prison was separated from the outside by two gates with a strip of land in between, but there were walkers everywhere. Even in the open land before the first gate.

It crossed her mind that they should have parked out in the woods and snuck up on the prison, but her and Daryl seemed to be winging life at this point.

"Here's what we're gonna do, baby doll," he said and turned the bike around to face the ten walkers that were making their way toward them from the woods. "We're gonna take on these bastards, and then open that gate and get the section clear."

"How are we gonna kill all those?" She asked, bordering on hysterical. "I have no weapon."

"Guess it's a good time to learn," he said and hopped off the bike, almost knocking her the face with his leg. "Sorry, sugar."

Beth got off the bike and Daryl handed her his long buck knife. "Remember, aim for tha head."

She stared at him in shock for several seconds before he raised his bow and took out the closest walker. Beth made a choking sound and turned to face the one nearest to her. She walked toward it and scooted around to its back, stabbing forward, planting the blade in its head. It was mushy and the bone giving way made her gag. When she pulled the knife back it got stuck, and the dead walker almost landed on her.

After she got her knife back, she noticed that Daryl had already killed five of them. She had taken down one, and there was another one coming her way. Her hands shook, and she was pretty sure she was having a heart attack, but she repeated the process again with this walker.

When she pulled her knife from the fallen walker, she saw that Daryl had taken care of the other ones. He killed eight to her two.

"Not bad," he said and smiled over at her.

Her hands were sticky with blood and goo. She might have gotten them, but she was short and almost always ended up with a walker knocking her down or when she yanked the knife out, it would cause blood to spray in her direction.

"I hate you," she said and stalked toward the bike where the tossed the knife onto the grass.

"I'm teachin' ya valuable lessons," he said in that easy going way of his, like she would just see it his way. "Someone's gotta make sure ya can take care of yourself."

He seemed so sincere, but Beth couldn't stop herself. She snapped and turned on him. "No, that's not what that was, Daryl! I could've been bit or killed. You coulda been, too. It's like ya don't take this seriously at all. It's just a big game or somethin'. I've never been in this position before. I'm scared. I don't know what I'm doin', and ya ain't teachin' me shit. You're throwin' me into tha fire."

He stood there and stared at her for several seconds before he looked away. "'M sorry," he said quietly. "We'll, uh—we'll take the next section differently." Beth nodded and tried to wipe the blood off her hands onto her jeans. "Let's go to tha fence, get 'em against it, and ya can use the knife, and I'll use an arrow."

"Okay," she said and picked the knife up off the ground.

She felt badly for yelling at him because now he looked like a kicked puppy, and Beth didn't want him to feel that way when he was around her. They walked in awkward silence to the fence where there were at least twenty walkers piled up against it.

The process took a while, especially since their arms got so tired, but eventually, they killed all the walkers in the middle and went to the gate. She had expected it to be locked but Daryl had been able to push it open easily.

"Electricity died and the gates automatically unlock," he explained as he rolled the bike in and took it around the side of the guard tower where it couldn't be seen from the driveway.

When they had pulled the first gate back into place and secured it as best they could with some linked carabineers, they stood side-by-side and looked at the second gate. It was crowded with even more walkers since it was the last one before the actual prison yard.

"We're gonna have to get rid of some 'em before we check the tower," Beth said quietly as the chain link squeaked in protest.

"Umhm." Daryl rolled his shoulders and started forward. "I don't even wanna know what's inside that prison."

"Me neither," Beth said and followed behind him, raising her knife when she got close to the fence.

The tension between them had eased again, and Beth was happy about that. It was easy to be mad, but at the end of the day, both of them were struggling to figure out how to move forward.

They had been at it for a while, both dragging and arms burning when she looked over at Daryl. He was having a hard time pulling his arrow from a walker's eye socket and had leaned too close to the fence.

Beth reached out and grabbed his vest, yanking him back just as a gnarled hand brushed the air where his stomach had been. They both gasped and looked at each other.

"Holy fuck," he muttered and took a few more steps back.

"Are ya okay?" She asked and walked toward him.

"I think we got enough of 'em now, so we can prolly check the tower and have a rest."

She knew immediately he wasn't going to be talking about what had just happened and probably never would. They both needed to be more mindful of their surroundings.

Thankfully, the tower was unlocked and all clear. Inside the base, was a small area with a stairwell leading up to the lookout, and wrapped around that was a ledge to walk around on. The stairs opened up to a hatch in the floor with a lock, so once they got everything taken up the stairs, Daryl locked the hatch and laid down on top of it.

The sun was dying and they had a few candles, but Beth didn't want to waste them, especially when they were so tired and would probably fall asleep soon anyway. With a heavy sigh, she said, "There's some water out that way. I don't really wanna get back out, but I can't deal with this all this blood on me."

Daryl looked over at her and nodded slowly. "I'll help ya get taken care of, baby doll."

They left the tower; Daryl with his bow raised and ready the entire way to the reserve pond near the woods. With a large cup from their pack, they ladled out water and poured it over their hands and arms over the grass, cleaning themselves off as best they could.

It was a poor substitute for a bath, but Beth hadn't been truly clean in months, and she doubted it was high on Daryl's priority list. She didn't want to eat her dinner with walker blood on her hands, though.

When they got back up in the tower, Daryl turned his back while Beth changed clothes and then she did the same for him. Finally, they were sitting down and worn out even more, but at least they were a little cleaner.

"We can get a good night's rest bein' up so high," she said and opened her duffle bag. "What do you want? Peas and carrots or lima beans?"

"Don't matter none." His voice was odd so Beth turned to look at him and saw him sitting up, staring down at his hands.

She chose the lima beans and took two spoons over to where he was sitting. As she handed him his spoon, he grabbed her hand, and Beth looked at him.

"'M really sorry about earlier. Thank ya," he said quietly.

Just when she thought he was going to let her go, he brought her hand up to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it before letting it fall between them.


	6. Chapter 6

Ch. 6

Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! This one is a little shorter, but it's setting up for the next section of the story. I hope you like it!

* * *

The next morning, Beth woke up to bright sunlight streaming through the windows.

She had made her pallet underneath the overhanging desk while Daryl had just slept on top of the hatch. Beth glanced to his space and saw everything had been moved away. She rolled from her blankets and walked to the windows.

A fog was over the yard, but she could see Daryl down below, steadily killing walkers that had accumulated on the fence overnight. Beth shook her head and grabbed her knife before going downstairs to join him.

"Ya should've woken me up," she told him when he looked over at her.

Daryl shrugged. "Had to piss then saw 'em all piled up like that, so I just went to work."

"Where'd ya pee?" She asked quietly and looked around.

He snorted and said, "I just whipped it out and pissed against the fence. You can go around behind the tower, though, so I cain't see ya."

"Just peein' outside now," she mumbled.

"And shittin' when tha time comes, I imagine. Ain't like ya haven't done it before."

"I know. I was by myself then, though." She said and went to take care of business.

When she was finished, Daryl had cleared the fence of the newest walkers and was looking toward the back of the yard, into the actual prison.

"Ya see 'em in that back corner?" He asked and moved her in front of him and pointed over her shoulder.

There was a large mass of walkers crashing up against the fence to the inner area of the prison. She took a step back without really meaning to, and Daryl wrapped the arm that had been pointing around her upper chest to rest a hand on her opposite shoulder.

"S'okay," he whispered. "I bet that fence has got a bit more life in it."

"What happens when it dies?" She asked and stood steady against him.

"I's wonderin' that myself."

Beth shook her head. "This fence can't handle that many on at once. Hell, it was squeakin' when we got here."

"Yeah," he said and leaned his head against hers.

She wondered if it was strange that they were taking comfort in each other's presence but threw that thought away. There wasn't a single thing wrong with it. They were both tired of being alone in the world, and the truth was, she liked Daryl.

Beth reached her hand up to lay over his on her shoulder. "Wouldn't it be cool if we just sorta left the gates open, and they walked right out?"

Daryl snorted out a laughed, and she could feel him smiled against her hair.

"That's what we're gonna do, sugar." He let go of her, and she leaned with him so she wouldn't lose his touch. "They break that fence, we're just gonna go in tha tower and let 'em walk free. Been pardoned by the great state of Georgia."

"That's really not nice," she said after an involuntary bark of laughter.

"Don't matter. They're dead."

"It matters," she whispered and looked up at him. "Even if they're dead, we still gotta make it matter. If we don't, I think we'll lose what we were."

"I wasn't all that great to begin with, baby doll," he muttered and turned for his bike.

"Since I've known ya, ya've been great."

"Ya've known me for four days."

Beth shook her head and went to stand beside him. "Today makes five." When she caught his eyes again, she said, "Maybe ya can be the nice guy I've known from now on. Ya know? Since ya ain't gotta pretend around anybody anymore."

"What tha hell are ya talkin' about?" He snapped up and started backing away.

She held up her hands. "I wasn't meanin' anythin' bad. I'm just sayin', it's only us. We can be who we really are."

Daryl pinned her with his stare. "And who are _you_ to everyone else?"

"The farmer's daughter that's weak, suicidal, and needs to be treated like a china doll."

He looked her up and down then asked, "How do ya think I see ya?"

Her heart picked up a little, and she felt a rush of nervousness through her chest. "I hope ya see me as a partner, someone strong that you can trust, and that ain't weak."

Daryl held her stare for several seconds then asked, "Now, how do ya see me?"

The space between them felt like a thousand miles, but Beth just gave him a slow smile. "You're silly and crude." Daryl's brow pulled together, and she walked toward him a few steps. "I like it. It makes me happy. You're also strong and brave. I trust ya with my life." She thought about the day before and shrugged. "Most of tha time."

He shook his head as if he knew what she was thinking of. "I ain't never been taught no different." He pushed his hands deep into his pockets. "My old man wasn't a great teacher. It was all trial by fire, ya know?"

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Daryl just looked away.

"How do you see me?" She asked.

Immediately, Daryl looked up at her. "I think you're pretty." He smirked a little. "I think you're braver than me, and I really hope ya sleep next to me on the floor tonight 'cause I missed ya last night."

She knew her face was completely flushed by the time he finished, and she said, "Add shameless flirt to your list, too."

Through his laughter, he started moving the bike to the side of the tower with the door.

"What're ya doin'?"

"Puttin' this inside. Don't want those nasty bastards trippin' over my baby."

Beth shook her head and helped him hold open the door. "At least it opens out. They can bang on it all they want and can't get in."

"That's a plus," he said and looked over at her as he eased the bike back on its kickstand. "Think I should go set some snares maybe."

"I don't know," she said and looked over her shoulder at the prison. "What if the fence breaks before ya get back?"

Daryl walked out the door and turned toward the prison. "I won't go far. Just the treeline. If it busts, holler and I'll come runnin'."

Beth nodded and Daryl picked up his bow that had been laying against the tower. "One day soon, I'll teach ya how to do this."

"I'll keep an eye out from tha tower, okay?"

He nodded and opened the gate up before pulling it closed. Beth went inside and up to the tower, watching as he walked across the open grass. She admired the view, but when he stopped suddenly, she went on alert, looking for signs that something was wrong.

Daryl turned and strode across the distance he had made and motioned for Beth. She walked out on the ledge and he yelled, "I'ma need that rope."

Beth laughed and went to dig in their bags then downstairs. Neither one of them said a single word as she passed it through the fence to him. Before he could pull away, she grabbed the tips of his fingers. "Be careful, all right?"

He chewed on his lip and nodded.

This time when he left, she got to watch him walk all the way to the trees and disappear among them.

* * *

That night they laid in the tower, side-by-side over the hatch.

It was pitch black and smelled like rain. She wasn't really sure if that would be a good thing or not. The last few days had been nice weather considering how cold it had been a couple of weeks ago.

That's how winter came to the south, though. In little increments, usually heralded by a thunderstorm that brought down a cold front. The cycle would repeat until one day, the cold just stuck around for two or three months.

"One of these days, we're gonna need to build a fire," she said as the first bolt of lightening flashed.

"Yeah, need to build us a little fire pit and crack open a window."

"Will that really work?" Beth asked and rolled to her side to face him. She couldn't really make him out there and he was right beside her.

"Sure it will," he answered, and she felt him roll onto his side, too.

"I really like the tower," she admitted quietly. "I didn't think I would, but I like bein' so high up. It's safe."

"Umhm. Sorta feels like livin' in a deer stand."

"No, it's like a tree house."

"Tree house. Deer stand. It's about the same thang."

Beth curled in closer to him, and she felt him stiffen a little before he wrapped an arm around her.

"Now's about the time ya should be thankin' me for stuffin' my pillows in the bag," she whispered against his chest.

"That sure is the best part of this situation right now." He smarted off and pulled her a little closer.

They laid in the silence for a long time, so long that Beth thought he might be asleep, and she was close to going that way herself when a loud crack of thunder caused her to jump.

"Good lord," she muttered as her heart started to settle down again.

Daryl grunted as Beth rolled over putting her back to his chest. "Damn, stay put."

"Just gettin' comfortable."

"Is sleepin' with someone always like this?" He asked and brought his arm tighter around her to make her stop wiggling.

"I don't know," she said with a laugh. "You're the only guy I've slept with. You tell me."

"I ain't never spent the night with a woman before you," he muttered. "Go to bed."

"This makes me irrationally happy," she whispered before she could control herself, but Daryl just shook his head against her shoulder.

The bottom dropped out then, and Beth listened for a bit before she turned her head a little and said, "I never got to ask ya earlier. How do ya see _yourself_?"

"I's nothin' before all this. Don't think I'm much better now." She opened her mouth to argue, but he beat her to it. "Don't tell me I ain't. Just let it lie."

Against everything inside herself, she kept her mouth shut and watched the storm outside the windows. She wasn't sure which one of them fell asleep first, the only thing she knew was that it was a very long time before either one of them gave in.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7

So sorry I didn't update yesterday! Me and my girls had a stomach virus, and I didn't even touch my computer yesterday.

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I know things are slow right now, but the story does take off soon :)

* * *

The storm had truly brought down the cold on them, and Beth shivered under the covers as Daryl brought her more closely to him.

"Guess I need to get that fire pit ready," he said and started to pull back the covers. A freezing draft made him yank them down again. "Maybe later," he muttered and pulled the blankets over their heads.

It was overcast like winter always seemed to be, so the chance of the sun warming them up wasn't a good one.

"How would we even go about doing that?" She asked then yawned loudly.

"Ain't too hard," he yawned then, too. "Get some rocks, make a circle for the wood, build it up a little so the flames have a direction, and there ya go. Cement ain't gonna burn. Ya don't mind a black ring on your floor, do ya?"

"Not if it means I don't have to be this cold anymore."

"I get the rocks. You get the sticks and brush?" He asked and pulled the covers back again. "Sonofabitch," he muttered.

"No time like the present I don't guess." Beth stood up and folded up the blankets. It was awful because she was still so cold, but she had nothing else to put on. She had woken up in the middle of the night and pulled on another long-sleeved shirt and her jacket. Daryl was wearing her daddy's old hunting coat, which was thick with down lining. It had been a good one, and she remembered her mom complaining about how much it had cost, especially seeing how he didn't get out and hunt all that often.

She looked out the windows and saw that there were still no walkers in the prison yard, and only a two in the main yard between them and the woods.

"Bring a duffle bag to carry more sticks at once," Daryl said and picked up his bow. "I'll check the snares while we're out. Doubt shit's in 'em 'cause of the storm, though."

"Okay." Beth picked up both duffle bags as Daryl raised the hatch.

The trip out to the tree line was easy and safe. Both walkers noticed them but were far off, and they decided to worry about them when they got closer.

The snares were empty just like Daryl had predicted, but he took a few minutes to move them back into position since the storm had blown them around.

Beth stayed close picking up sticks and leaves. Most of which were wet and would serve no purpose until they dried out. She noticed that there weren't any big stones either to make the pit with. Still, she continued on with her job. The more she put in the bag, the more she realized they would be without a fire today and probably tonight, too.

"I'll make a run," Daryl said from behind her.

"What? Why?" She asked as she stood to face him.

"We need the fire, and this ain't gonna cut it."

"I know." Beth dusted off her hands. "I don't want to be left alone, though."

"Someone needs to be here to watch the gate in case those walkers get out." Daryl cleared his throat. "I'ma have to find a truck." Beth opened her mouth to say I told ya so, but Daryl held up a hand. "Don't say a fuckin' word."

She settled for a satisfied smirk and grabbed the full bags. "So, I'll keep a watch, and you're gonna walk around until ya find somethin'?"

He shook his head. "Gonna go into the prison yard and get one of those cruisers."

Beth scrunched up her forehead. "I don't like that. We really don't wanna rile those walkers up, do we?"

"We need a car, and I bet the ones here have gas in 'em. And some prisons have their own fuel pumps for the vans and cruisers and shit. We may get real lucky."

They started out of the woods and the two walkers had gotten close enough to be a threat, so Daryl raised his bow and shot one while Beth walked toward the other. She circled it with more confidence than she had the day before, and stabbed it through the back of the head just like she had all the other times.

"I'm gonna look for ya a woman's bow," Daryl said as the walker fell to the ground. "Ya need somethin' ya can use from a distance."

"I'm good with a gun," she said and wiped off her knife of the walker's clothes.

"Yeah, but we need to be quiet, remember?"

Beth nodded and picked up her bags again. They got inside the first gate, locking it with the flimsy carabineers then put the bags beside the tower.

"Ya got my back, sugar?" He asked before he took the carabineers off the second gate.

"Always," she said nervously, gripping the knife tightly in her hand as her heart started beating wildly.

There were no walkers that she could see, but that didn't mean that they weren't there. At any moment that back gate could break, and they would be screwed. She followed Daryl up the driveway and in between the buildings. It seemed like they had killed all the walkers that had been out in the open, and all that was left was the ones behind the fence and whatever was inside the prison.

Up close, the growls made her skin crawl, and she paused to look over at them. There were more than fifty piled up against the fence in what used to be an exercise yard. It was closed off from the building by solid steel doors and there was no gate to the outside. The chain link was still close to giving way though.

"Don't look at 'em," Daryl muttered. "Won't give ya nothin' but nightmares."

"I already have nightmares," she whispered but turned her head away and kept up with Daryl as he turned another corner and started toward what looked like garages. "There might be some locked in there." Beth pointed to the bays with the rolling doors pulled down.

"Could be cars, too. We'll knock first."

They knocked, but heard nothing, so Daryl tugged on the first bay door, pulling it up. The noise was so loud that Beth turned around to make sure nothing had gotten through the fence or any stray walkers had come at the dinner bell.

"Sonofabitch," he hollered and slammed a hand against the side of the building.

Beth jumped at the rattle and snapped her head back over. There were four cars in the building, each full of walkers. She looked around, confused for a moment, and then noticed that the exhaust pipes had been stuffed.

"Oh my God," she whispered and covered her mouth with her hand.

"There goes all the damn gas and the batteries." Daryl shook his head and started looked around the walls for anything they could use. There were some tools that he paused at, and he eventually picked up a toolbox to carry a long with him.

Beth just stood there in shock for several seconds before she walked away and around the building. She leaned against a gas pump that Daryl had mentioned might be there, then saw the old state trooper cruiser behind the building—empty.

"Daryl," she called out. There was no urgency in her voice, but he came running anyway. She didn't say anything, just pointed to the car.

"Good goin'. Plenty of shit in there we can keep it runnin' with."

"We'll need to take care of those walkers," she said and looked toward the building behind her.

"Yeah, I saw two rifles in the back glass of each car. We'll need those and whatever ammo is in 'em."

"And also 'cause we can't leave 'em like that," she added.

He caught her eye and shrugged. "Sure. We already gotta move all those others along the second fence. Once it heats up again, the smell's gonna be terrible."

Her stomach rolled. "It's always somethin' ain't it?"

"We'll tackle it one thing at a time. Right now, we focus on us," he said and pulled on the door handle of the cop car. It opened right away and he peeked around inside, grabbing the keys from where they were tucked between the roof the car and the visor, before popping the trunk.

Beth stood beside him as he pushed it up and gasped when she saw the cache of weapons and ammunition there. "What do ya think happened?"

Daryl hummed. "Maybe someone was gonna make a run for it and didn't get too far. This is good news for us, though. We'll drive it down to the tower, unload all the weapons, and I'll go look for the other stuff."

"How's it doin' on gas? It prolly hasn't been cranked in months." She said as she took the keys from him and went to the driver's side before sliding inside. She turned the keys and the engine whined, she did it again, pressing the gas this time and it turned over. "Looks like half a tank."

"That'll be enough," he said as he chewed on his thumbnail. "I ain't goin' into town. Just find a house along the way, scavenge it. Plenty of folks had stacks of firewood around here already. Most of it left over from last year. Ya need anythin' while I'm out?"

"Give me a minute to think on it," she said and motioned him to the other side. "I'm drivin' it down."

Daryl smirked and tipped his head. "Yes, ma'am."

Once they were both inside, she backed up and started pulling slowly down the gravel path back to the tower.

"Be careful," she said quietly and reached over to grab his hand.

"I'll be fine. I promise," he said and squeezed her hand.

"I'll be in the tower, waitin'."

Daryl looked over at her and grinned. "I think you're gonna miss me."

Beth shrugged and he laughed. Then she gave up trying to hold back her smile.

* * *

It only took a few minutes to unload everything and put it all in the tower then Daryl was back in the car and down the road. She didn't think it would take him that long to go and find some wood. He had asked her again before he left if she needed anything, and on a whim she asked him to look for a journal and rain boots.

Beth took the duffle bags up the stairs, unloaded all the sticks and brush into one corner under a overhanging desk then went down the stairs and put all the ammo in both bags before hauling them up the stairs, too. Those two trips were a lot heavier than she anticipated, and by the time she was up the stairs, she was panting.

The four rifles were next then the few handguns.

She began organizing everything while keeping an eye out for Daryl and the walkers back inside the prison yard.

It was almost dark by the time Daryl came back up the driveway, and she went downstairs and pulled the gate open for him to drive through. He pulled the cruiser around behind tower, but it could still be seen from the driveway. Beth figured it wouldn't look out of the ordinary, though, since they were at a prison.

"Got good stuff," he said as he got out of the car. The first thing he pulled out of the backseat was a pair of blank and white patterned rain boots.

"Thank you so much," she whispered and took him from his hands. "These are perfect!"

"I only went to one house. It's about thirty minutes away. First one that had a chimney." Daryl started pulling out more blankets and then grocery sacks full of winter items. "Whoever lived there left in a hurry, but not really, ya know? All the pictures were gone and nearly all the clothes. There were only a few canned goods left in the cabinets. Think maybe they had the car all packed down and ready to run. Then the time came, and they took off."

Daryl looked over at Beth and she glanced away, choosing to stare at the boots in her hands.

"They had firewood under a tarp in the carport and rocks out in the backyard. I filled up the trunk with it. When we get low, I'll run out again, but it should last us a while. We'll take some up and leave the rest in the trunk, so we ain't gotta be trippin' over it up there."

"Makes sense," she said and picked up some of the bags and walked back to the tower door.

She didn't know why she felt sad, but all of a sudden the thought of another family getting run away from their home caused her heart to sink. They would only need a couple more days of getting settled before they could look for her family.

More than anything, she hoped that in that moment, they were all right.

* * *

Rick rubbed a hand over his jaw and looked at the people surrounding the campfire.

They were surviving, but winter was hitting them hard, and they had no permanent shelter. Morale was low and food was even lower. He wasn't sure what the next step was or how much longer he could look all of them in the eyes while he pretended to know the right answers.

He'd killed his best friend, his wife had become a stranger, and his son was hell-bent on growing up much faster than he needed to.

Add to that, the look of desperation on Hershel's face every time they went around a town or through an abandoned farmhouse and didn't find the girl they were searching for, and he was at his wits end.

They'd spent the last few months doing all manner of things to stay alive. They hid from people who needed their help, they walked away from many more, they'd stolen food from a house that had obviously been occupied but no one had been home, and he'd killed a man who came too close to their little safe haven in the woods.

Guilt was laying heavy on his shoulders, and on more than one occasion, he'd wished he had died in that hospital bed. He quickly squashed that down though because he would always see Carl staring at him as if he knew what he was thinking.

"Time for another run?" Hershel asked as he sat down beside Rick on the log they'd placed around the fire.

"Have to soon. Just don't know what we're gonna do. We need a safe place to stay."

They both looked to Lori who was showing more now and sighed.

"You're right. She cain't give birth on the run."

"What other choice do we have? We've looked for months. There's nothin' left. No one left."

Hershel nodded and patted Rick's back. "We'll figure somethin' out. We always do."

At that, Hershel stood up and made his way to his tent for the night. His mind was running too fast to sleep, so Rick stared into the embers of the fire and racked his brain for ideas.

By the time the fire was dead, he was no closer to an answer.


	8. Chapter 8

Ch. 8

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so happy that you love this Daryl and Beth, and I think you're going to love this chapter. Or I hope you do!

* * *

Beth and Daryl developed a routine over the next couple of weeks.

Early in the morning, they would check the snares and bring back any game they had caught. Then he would teach her how to skin, clean, and cut portions of it. If they got an animal, they would cook it over the fire in the tower and eat a little then and put some away for later. If there wasn't anything, they'd split a can of food.

After that, he would start their morning training session, which included lessons in shooting the compound bow he had found for her on his second trip outside the fence a week earlier.

She thought she was getting pretty good hitting the target Daryl had set up in between the fences. He would compliment her good shots, give her hell for her bad ones. No matter which way the arrow went, his hands weren't far from her shoulders or her hips.

Daryl said he was trying to teach her form, but she liked to think a good bit of it was him just wanting to touch her. If he ever asked her, she would be honest and tell him she didn't mind the way his fingers slid across her skin.

 _No, she didn't mind a single bit._

In the afternoons, they would go out into the woods again and actively hunt. He was teaching her how to identify tracks and trail animals. Daryl also shared everything he knew about the woods themselves, like which plants were good to eat and which ones were poisonous to her but not to the animals.

When she had asked him how he knew so much he had said, "It's just somethin' I had to learn."

He didn't elaborate, and the way he spoke made it seem like a final answer on the subject so she didn't push.

At night, they'd eat whatever leftover meat they may have had and a can of food. After dinner, they'd build up the fire and crack the door a little to let the smoke out since none of the windows slid open.

They hadn't done anything besides cuddle at night. It was warm and sweet, but Beth could feel herself edging into wanting something a little more.

Just like with bow practice, his fingers would linger on her hips when she scooted close to him. Unlike bow practice, he'd lay his forehead on her shoulder and she could feel his hair brush her neck.

Beth wasn't completely sure what was going on at first. Her stomach would flip every time their eyes met and he smirked or said some off-color remark. It was the craziest feeling in the world, and she had never felt it before.

She'd once heard Maggie tell a friend of hers that some guy they liked looked good enough to lick. At the time, Beth had rolled her eyes at their silliness, but now, she understood just what an apt description that was.

He would catch her stare sometimes and his brow would crease as she blushed then looked away.

She was in lust with Daryl Dixon.

And the best part was, she was pretty sure he was lusting right back.

* * *

"C'mon, sunshine," his voice was a rough growl by her ear. "Wake your ass up. I gotta show ya how to kill what's in a snare if it ain't dead yet."

"No," she mumbled and threw the blanket over her head.

"Ya gotta learn. It ain't right to leave 'em like this. I'll show ya tha quickest way."

Beth moved the blanket back just little and peeked up at him. His hair was growing out and was down to his eyebrows now, and without really thinking about it, she reached out and pushed his hair back out off his forehead then traced her hand to his jaw where she left it there.

Daryl leaned into her hand and closed his eyes with a tired sigh.

Before she could tell herself she shouldn't do it, she sat up and kissed him softly. He stiffened under her touch, but she pressed her lips to his again then once more until he loosened up and slid a hand into her hair, finally kissing her back.

After a few more tender kisses, Daryl pulled away. "Why'd ya do that?"

"I wanted to," she said and kissed him for a final time before she moved to stand up.

He continued to sit on the blankets as Beth went to tug on her boots that she had sat off to the side the night before. She wondered if she should say anything else, but she wasn't sure what to say anymore. She hadn't even planned the kiss, and she certainly hadn't planned the after talk.

"That mean I can do that whenever I want to now?" Daryl asked when she walked toward the hatch he sat beside.

She felt her cheeks heat up, and she nodded.

"All right then," he said with a little laugh. He met her eyes and smiled wider than she had ever seen before. "Today's gonna be a good day."

* * *

Beth decided pretty quickly that she only wanted to find the animals dead when she got to the snares. It was different seeing Daryl bring up a rabbit on his belt than watching it flail around, trying to get away.

The sad truth was, before, she would have let it go if she had found it like that, especially after the raccoon debacle months earlier. Beth wasn't good at hands-on killing when it came to furry animals. Now, it was slit the rabbit's throat or go hungry. Daryl hadn't made her do it, but he explained how to make it quick, and she had to watch as he worked efficiently to kill the cottontail.

When it was all over, she tried to stop the tears from welling in her eyes and failed. Daryl didn't mention it, and she was grateful for that.

It was little moments like that, that reminded her truly what life was like now. No more running down to DQ if she was hungry and didn't want to cook. She wanted to slap her younger self for ever thinking there wasn't anything to eat in the house.

Once they were out of the woods and back across the yard, Daryl nodded his head to the prison yard. "They seem a bit slower when it's cold."

Happy to have her mind somewhere else, she looked over at the walkers. "Yeah, I was thinkin' the same thing. I wonder why?"

Daryl shrugged. "Ya know when ya get cold and your muscles tense up?" She nodded. "Maybe that happens to them, too. 'Cept since they're already dead, it really fucks 'em up."

"You're prolly right," she said and opened the tower door.

Upstairs, Daryl walked out onto the ledge and skinned the rabbit while Beth started a new fire. They normally waited until dinner to eat their big meal, but today, she didn't think they were going to wait that long. It had been a couple of days since they had anything substantial.

She wished they had a pot, and she could make some stew. It would last longer, and be more filling, but all they had at that moment was some skewers and a grill top for the fire.

"Tomorrow, we can start that search for your people again," Daryl said as he took the skewers off the desk ledge that had become their countertop.

"Okay. Maybe we'll find 'em fast this time then we won't have to get stuck out in the cold so long."

That was what they said every day, and they never found them. The winter was bitterly cold and with all of Daryl's help, she was learning to defend herself, but they were still no closer to finding her family. They had tried to make the circles they had planned while hunting, but the weather made them cut their trips short, and while the prison was safe for them, it was in the middle of nowhere, too.

There were warring feelings inside herself everyday. Ones that told her to stay put and take care of her and Daryl. This was her place now, and there was no way of knowing where anyone was or if they were even alive. And the other part was yelling at her that her family was out there—alive—and waiting on her to find them.

Beth let out a deep sigh and shook her head before turning her attention back to the food.

Daryl asked in a whisper. "Where we gonna put 'em when we find 'em? There's more than'll fit in here."

"With their help we could clear a cell block." Beth suggested and laid back on her pillow.

"That sounds terrible," he said and leaned over her.

"It does."

They stared for a few seconds before Daryl hesitantly closed the gap between them. He took her bottom lip between his and sucked softly before pressing harder against her lips. She brought her hands up to his shoulders then tangled them in the back of hair, pulling him down against her.

He shuffled a little until he settled between her legs and his body covered hers. A groan ripped from his throat when she tugged his hair and wrapped a leg around his thigh. He let the kiss go on just a few more seconds before he sat back, panting.

She was about to ask him why he stopped when he turned and flipped over the rabbit on the grill top then practically tackled her back to the pallet.

* * *

The afternoon passed quietly, and their routine was officially broken.

They made out then ate lunch then made out some more.

It never went further than that, though. He didn't try and get under her shirt or grind too much against her. She could tell he liked it, and he had to have known that she did, but it was like he was perfectly happy just kissing her.

Her lips, her neck, he even tugged her shirt to the side a little and traced her shoulder with his lips.

The whole time he didn't really say anything. He made little noises in the back of his throat when she'd kiss somewhere he liked, he moaned when she rolled them over and straddle his lap, but he never _said_ anything.

As the sun started to set, Daryl sat up and smiled at her. "I need to check the snares again. Maybe see if I can track anythin' for just a minute."

"There's not that much time left in the day," she said and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He smirked and rubbed a finger over his lips. "My lips are chapped as fuck. Ain't never done that before."

"What? Kissed until ya needed some Carmex?" She asked with a grin.

"Yeah." He nodded and leaned forward to kiss her again.

"Me neither," she said when he pulled away.

"Seriously?" He asked and moved away, not looking at her.

Beth knew immediately that he was feeling self-conscious and shy. The more she got to know him, the more she realized this was how he really was. He needed affirmation and to be told that he was important and valued. He craved it. "Yeah," she said with a touch of laughter in her voice. She could see his lips tilt up from the side and she went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I don't think I've ever wanted to kiss someone as much as I wanna kiss you all the time."

He didn't say anything just smirked and picked up his bow, trying to keep his smile from turning too big.

Beth looked out the window to give him a moment to control himself and took in their surroundings. The walkers were still behind their fence, and the yard was clear. He could probably hunt for thirty minutes before it got too dark to see. She noticed some huge storm clouds that were over the trees in the west and shook her head. "That doesn't look good at all."

"Sure don't," he muttered. "Bet that brings down the cold for good."

"And prolly some trees. I hope not tha fences."

"Nah," he said and wrapped his arms around her waist. "The fences'll hold."

Beth leaned against him and sighed. "Did I ever tell ya that I love storms?"

"Ya didn't," he answered.

"I like watchin' 'em, so even though I hate the windows in the mornin', I'm sorta excited to see the rain tonight."

Daryl nodded against her shoulder and squeezed. "I'll be back quick."

She didn't turn around to watch him leave; instead she waited until he came into view of the window.

As he entered the woods, she let out a deep breath and then squealed loudly. She felt like one big ball of crazy energy, and at the same time, felt like she didn't have any right to be so happy.

She wasn't about to act differently, though. This might be her only shot at real happiness, and Daryl Dixon was everything she wanted.


	9. Chapter 9

Ch. 9

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I love reading them!

This chapter is building to something else, and also it's your first look into Daryl's POV. I hope you like it.

* * *

Daryl hadn't been gone ten minutes before the bottom dropped out.

There had been nothing in the snares he had set, but he hadn't expected there to be anything. The woods were getting pretty bare, and he wondered if it was because the walkers were catching stuff, although he didn't see how, or if they were all going somewhere the walkers weren't.

It would be worth a shot to track them, and find out for sure, but now he had Beth to worry about, and they weren't going to be chasing down some crazy theory when he had to start tracking down her family.

With that thought, he trudged through the trees and towards the prison yard, his clothes were soaked from the downpour.

Daryl had always been on his own, and it had never bothered him really. He had the woods and his bow. Sometimes his brother would show back up or his old man would stop drinking for a few days. They would have some laughs and hunt. He would feel better about everything.

As quickly as it came, it would go away, though.

Merle would leave. His pop would start back drinking, and he would be on the fringe of things again. It wasn't until the world ended, and his brother left him for the last time that Daryl realized that he didn't like being alone. Even at the worst points in his life, Daryl had always been around his family, and he didn't want to spend the rest of whatever little time he had staying at that community and pretending to be okay with it all.

That's why he jumped at the chance to follow _her_ out of there. The first moment he saw her, he knew she wasn't going to sit around that shithole and be used. He felt a little twinge of guilt as he walked into the woods and away from Locust Grove, but pushed it away. Merle had left months before, and he hadn't looked back, so neither did Daryl.

It didn't hurt that Beth was beautiful and tough as hell, too. Daryl figured he was a bit sweet on her from the moment he saw her, but as he spent more and more time with her, it just got worse. He kept telling himself that he wasn't going to push her for anything, though. He wanted her to be the one to make the first move or else he would feel like she was just going along with it. And the truth was, he never expected her to do anything.

Even though the rain had cooled him down a lot, his chest still felt warm and his body tingly. He was keyed up from the afternoon spent in the tower, and he knew it was stupid. He was twenty-three. Making out and dry humping wasn't something to get all strung out over.

He had this feeling that she was one of those girls that went all in once they got going, and for some reason, she had decided that him and her were going to spend their remaining time together.

Hell, he didn't mind. He wasn't sure how to have a relationship with anyone, so it helped that he could follow her lead, but the other stuff, he wasn't too sure about either. Touching, feeling—those weren't things he was used to.

Once he had opened the gate and latched it back, he walked towards the tower. The door swung open and Beth waved him inside. He hadn't even noticed how bad he was shivering until that moment.

"I got a fire goin'." She took his bow and started tugging on his vest and shirt. "Go on up. I'm gonna grab some wood from the back of the car."

He held his shirt together and shook his head. "I got it. I'm already wet." He took the keys from her hands and went out to the trunk. He stacked up a several logs and carried them through the door and went back for another trip then another. "Tomorrow I'll bring the rest in. That way we ain't gonna keep goin' out."

Beth nodded. "We got a few logs up top, too, so we'll be fine."

She really was pretty, he thought to himself for a moment. Her blue eyes all wide with concern and her baby hairs were frizzy around her face even though it was pulled back.

Beth Greene was a good girl. A nice girl.

He hadn't been playing when he said he would wear her down. He had planned to pull out all the stops to get her to be his, but he had a feeling she knew all along anyway, but he wasn't sure if that showed his game or her being the one in control of it all. Probably the second one.

Daryl talked a big game and put on a decent front, but the truth of the matter was he was sort of soft and definitely self-conscious when it came to women.

"Get up by the fire," she said and pushed him toward the ladder. "Can't afford ya gettin' sick now."

"Ain't gonna get sick," he grumbled to himself and went up the ladder first.

Beth followed behind him with the crossbow slung over her shoulder.

In the tower, Daryl pulled off his vest and shirt then kicked off his boots. He had told her about his scars, but he had never let anybody see them, so Beth's sharp intake of breath made him tense. He didn't like them either, but there wasn't a thing he could do about them. His old man hadn't been a nice guy on his best days and definitely not on his worst.

She didn't say anything, though. He could hear her steps toward him then her arms around his waist. "Are you okay?" She asked quietly.

The thought for a few seconds before finally deciding, "For the most part." Daryl laid a hand over hers and looked out the tower windows. It was dark now and the little flickers of lightening were all that he could see by, and right now, that was all he needed.

* * *

Neither one of them could sleep. The storm was too loud, and Daryl was paranoid about the movement of the walkers.

Right after it started, a few walkers stumbled from the woods, but didn't come toward the gate, they moved across the yard toward the other tree line. Another lightening strike, more walkers filled the yard. An hour after it had all started, they were practically pouring from the woods.

Beth had taken a few looks while the lightening flashed then laid down on the pallet, closing her eyes as tightly as she could.

He wanted to lay with her, to let her warmth calm him and remind him that they were safe in their tower. They had food and water to last for a few days, firewood to keep them warm.

The herd would pass, and they would be fine.

Finally, when he couldn't strain his eyes any longer, he took his position beside her. Immediately, she rolled over and wrapped her arm around his stomach and threw a leg over his.

"Ya wanna play a game?" She asked against his shoulder.

"What kinda game?"

"Never have I ever?"

Daryl laughed quietly. "Why we playin' this shit?"

"So we don't think about the hundreds of walkers downstairs."

"Go on then," he said, realizing she had a very good point.

"I've never been to a bar," she said and smiled against his shirt.

"Done that." He cleared his throat. "I've never won a beauty pageant."

Beth laughed. "Momma wouldn't let me be in 'em. She said I didn't need any award to tell me I was amazin'."

"I think I'd've liked your momma," he said without thinking, and Beth squeezed him hard.

"Yeah, I miss her a lot."

"I fuckin' bet."

"It's my turn again," she said and hummed. "I've never been in jail before this."

Daryl snorted. "Just 'cause I tell ya my daddy went to jail don't mean I have."

"I didn't mean it like—"

He cut her off. "I ain't never been to prison, but there might be a few misdemeanors on my record," he hedged and closed his eyes. It was too dark to see anyway, but it seemed to help.

"Before I was born, my daddy got locked up in the drunk tank. He took the loss of his first wife really hard. She was Maggie's momma."

"You Greene's go the self-destructive route when you're hurtin'. That's just a Dixon trait to begin with. We ain't gotta be hurtin' to do stupid shit."

Beth got real quiet and Daryl nudged her a little. Then it hit him suddenly what he had said and he moved to lean over her. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I just mouth off before I think."

"It's okay," she whispered. "I know ya didn't mean it to be rude. I never thought about it like that. Me and Daddy just givin' up a little." She paused as Daryl rolled back onto his back. "I bet he thinks I'm dead."

"Nah, you're a strong girl."

"I know stuff _now_ , but when I got away from the farm, I didn't know anythin'. That's what they remember."

"Well, we'll just have to show 'em how badass ya are now."

The game had been forgotten, and they just laid in the dark as the storm raged on. After a good, long while, Beth sighed. "I really like ya. I didn't mean to, but it happened, and now I think it was always supposed to be this way."

His throat felt dry so he swallowed a few times before he said, "I like ya, too."

"Ya don't gotta say it 'cause ya think I'll be upset if ya don't."

"Nah, I do. I really do. You're prolly the best friend I ever had 'sides my brother. Ya ain't too bad to look at either," he paused and added just to tick her off a little. "And I think you're gonna let me nail ya soon."

Beth groaned and poked his ribs hard right as a huge flash of lightening filled the sky followed by a boom so loud that the tower shook a little. They both popped up and on the next lightening flash, the saw the tree that now lay across the yard, another flash and the flailing bodies of walkers under it. Daryl turned and on the next flash his heart dropped to his feet.

The fence had broken. He wasn't sure when, but the walkers were moving through the prison yard. They were still way back in the middle part of the prison, and the other walkers were near the woods. If they moved fast, they could open the gates, but then that would just make it easier for more walkers to get inside.

They would have to wait, and pick them off one by one. Maybe draw them out along the fence instead of fighting side by side.

He looked over his shoulder at Beth who was still staring out at the fallen tree, and his fingers and arms tingled with adrenaline.

He had just got her.

He couldn't let anything happen to her.


	10. Chapter 10

Ch. 10

Thank you all so much for the review! Can you believe it's less than two weeks until the premiere? I don't know whether to be excited or nervous.

Anyway, I really hope you like this one!

* * *

Beth was laying on her side with her eyes closed tight, and Daryl stood still, turning his head in a different direction for each flash of lightening.

Walkers in the yard. Walkers inside the fence, slowly moving down the road to the gate.

He clenched his fists and wondered what he should do. Should he tell Beth and have her lose her shit over it, or keep it to himself then run out to the car during all the noise and get the rest of the wood?

She would notice, though. She wasn't asleep, and he didn't think she would go that way for a long time.

They had enough food and water to last awhile. The wood would only last until tomorrow night, though. And he wasn't sure how long the stragglers from the woods would stick around once the other walkers reached the gate.

Daryl closed his eyes and tried to imagine all the different scenarios, but only came back to telling her in that moment and getting the wood together while the rain still poured down and would wash their scent away.

"Beth?" He spoke quietly, hoping that he might be wrong and she was asleep.

"Yeah?" She answered.

He cleared his throat as another flash of lightening illuminated the yard. "We got a problem."

* * *

He was right. She flipped out, running to the window and waiting for each bit of lightening to show her what was happening.

"Listen, they're far enough away it ain't gonna hurt to get tha wood. It's gonna turn real damn cold, and we'll need it."

"How are we gonna kill of 'em? What if they knock down the gate? We'll be stuck."

"Ain't gonna happen," he said in as strong a voice as he could muster. "They ain't gonna know we're here. They'll just wander, and when we can, we'll spread them out along the fence."

"This sucks," she muttered and slammed a hand into the glass.

"Could be a lot worse. We got shelter and food. A lot of people might be out in this shit with neither of those things."

That seemed to shake her out of her mood and she turned to face him. "Let's just get it over with."

He went to their pack and pulled out the flashlight that they rarely used. He wanted to save the batteries for real emergencies, and this was as close to a real emergency as he was going to get anytime soon.

Beth opened the hatch and they went down the stairs and stopped by the outside door. Daryl unlocked the deadbolts and turned on his flashlight.

He stuck it between his teeth and opened the door. His mind was focused on the task at hand but it didn't stop him from flinching against the icy sting of the rain against his skin or the loud growls and groans that overpowered the downpour when it wasn't thundering.

Beth was right beside him, taking several logs into her arms, running back and forth between the tower and the trunk. On the last trip, a walker from the prison yard slammed into the fence, causing Daryl to jerk back and Beth to let out a sharp, short scream.

He slammed the trunk and pushed her toward the tower. Another walker hit the fence as they walked through the door. Daryl dropped the logs to the floor and pulled the door closed.

He took the flashlight from his mouth and slumped against the wall, shivering.

"We gotta get warm," Beth stuttered out as she started to climb the ladder to the tower.

He locked up and followed behind her, trying to keep his teeth from chattering, but failing.

Inside the tower, the door had been blown open and fire was nearly out.

"Sonofabitch," he muttered and started piling on more wood as Beth closed the door. "We're gonna have to figure out some way to keep all this fuckin' rain outta here."

"I don't think there's any real way," she said, and he watched as she pulled off her jacket and then her shirt. "We just need dry clothes and to cuddle up under the blankets right now. The rest can wait."

The first thing she grabbed was a long sleeved flannel of his, and he watched with wide eyes as she turned her back to him and tugged off her bra before slipping on his shirt.

Her boots and jeans were next then she pulled up some sweat pants before she dropped down and got under the blankets where they slept.

"Get a move on," she said and patted the floor beside her.

Daryl cut his eyes to her and moved across the room. He picked out a new shirt, and tried to ignore the feel of her eyes on him as he went about changing.

Once he was under the covers, she slipped her leg over his and put her head on his chest.

He didn't move at all, just took a deep breath. They were safe for the next few days. If the fences fell and walkers remained everywhere, they would figure something out, but at that moment, he just wanted to relax.

* * *

Beth fell asleep pretty quickly after they got back inside the tower.

He was in and out, too. The warmth and the surprising feel of being clean from the rain had put him at ease.

He came to when Beth wiggled closer to him and saw that the sky was lightening up. The rain hadn't stopped, only let up a little, and the fire was close to dying again.

He wanted to get up and add a couple more logs like he had been doing throughout the night, but he really didn't want to move. Beth ended those warring thoughts when she pushed her leg even further over his and slid to straddle his hips.

He laid there, stunned, as she pulled the blanket over their heads with her hair falling like a curtain around his face.

"Mornin'." She said quietly.

"What're ya doin'?" He asked as he skimmed his fingertips over her waist to settle on her lower back.

"I dreamed about ya," she whispered.

"Really?" He asked with a smirk. As she opened her mouth to speak again, he cut her off, "Ya gotta eat somethin' first otherwise it'll come true."

"Maybe I wish it would," she said before kissing him softly.

"Go on then." The words were mumbled against her skin before she pulled away.

"It was before, and I was at the farm. You were pullin' up on our bike, and I was waitin' on the porch for ya."

He felt himself smiling as she did, and the urge to pull her down and kiss the hell out of her was getting to be overwhelming. Daryl had never wanted something so much before her.

"My daddy came out once your were walkin' up and said that there was no way I was goin' out on that thing, so he handed ya the keys to his old work truck, then tossed a shotgun shell at ya. Right after ya caught it, he said, 'That moves a lot faster after midnight.'"

Her head fell forward and she was giggling against his chest. Soon, he started laughing a little, too.

"Ain't that stupid? I remember him threatenin' to say that to Maggie's boyfriends all the time, and makin' fun of him for bein' so cheesy and overprotective. And then I go and dream it."

"Don't think it's stupid," he said and pushed some hair behind her ear. "Ya miss him."

"Yeah, and now there ain't a snowballs chance in hell of us lookin' anytime soon."

He rolled her over onto her back and settled over her. "We'll figure it out, girl. We ain't even looked out the windows yet."

She just stared at him for a few seconds before she said, "Let's not look right now."

Daryl tilted his head a little to the side and felt his brow scrunch up. "Why not?"

"Let's pretend it's all okay for a few more minutes."

Then she twisted her fingers in his hair and pulled him down to kiss her.

* * *

They kissed for a long time before Daryl finally pulled away, panting and trying to stop himself from humping her damn leg.

"Need to check shit now," he muttered and stood up, adjusting his dick once he got on his feet. "You're fuckin' with my head."

"Well, you're doin' the same to mine," she said with a smile.

She was going to kill him slowly with those sweet kisses and rolling hips.

Daryl turned his head and focused on the yard in front of the prison. There were at least fifty biters wandering around and a few trapped under the fallen tree.

None of them were pressing against the fence. They were shuffling back toward the woods and down the driveway.

With a deep breath, he turned to look behind him. Most of the walkers from the inner prison were pressed against the fence with a few staggering around in the open yard.

"How bad?" She whispered from her place on the floor.

He shrugged. "Ain't terrible. The ones out front will go away before lunch, I imagine. The ones on the fence we'll have to get rid of once the other ones wander off."

Beth stood up and raked up her hair into a sloppy ponytail as she looked toward the prison.

"Ya think the fence will stand that long?"

He hummed and looked back toward the other walkers outside the gate. "Could be a hell of a lot worse off."

"What are we gonna do until they pass?" Beth asked. He didn't even have to look at her to see the smirk on her face, and his ears went hot.

She had no problem at all with what they were doing, and he knew that her hands were roaming a little easier over his body, and she was expecting him to start doing the same.

He couldn't make himself, though. This was new and uncharted territory. Women were a mystery to him. He wasn't like Merle-loud and reckless. He hadn't picked up women before the turn. Not because he didn't want to get his dick wet, but because he didn't know how to begin with a woman.

His brother pushed women toward him constantly, and they'd take pity on him and his odd quietness. They'd kiss his neck and take him in their hands or mouths if Merle paid enough, but it never went beyond that. He'd definitely never touched one under her panties, but his fingers itched to slide down Beth's stomach to see what she felt like.

He knew how it all worked. There was always porn around when he lived with Merle. Practice was what he lacked, and Beth had done shit. The way she kissed him and pressed her hips against his spoke that truth.

And he wasn't mad or jealous. It was just a fact.

She was beautiful and sexual. Nothing wrong there. He was possessive in a sense, though. This touching and kissing was something to him, and he had a feeling it was to her, too.

When he looked over at her, she was still grinning but looked confused. "Ya okay?"

He hummed and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Just tryin' to come up with a plan s'all."

"I kinda gotta pee," she mumbled after a few seconds.

Daryl huffed out a quick breath, and all of a sudden the room didn't feel like it was going to press in on him. "Go downstairs and piss in one of those buckets or somethin'." She made a face, and he laughed under his breath. "Little Miss Priss," he joked as he opened the hatch in the floor.

Beth went without saying a word, only flipping him off when she was halfway down.

He gave her privacy and got together something for them to eat while they waited out the herd. At least they were clean from the rain the night before. His skin felt lighter without that ever-present coat of grime.

Beth came back up the stairs and closed the hatch. "Did ya know that your hair isn't as dark as I thought it was?"

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Huh?"

"Your hair," she said and ran her fingers through it. "The rain got it cleaner. I bet if we really washed it, I'd see a big difference. You've got a little bit of blonde in there, Daryl Dixon."

He nodded and went about opening a can of food. "I knew that."

"So, it's natural?"

The dirty look he shot her way made her giggle. "I sure as hell didn't go get it frosted before the world went to hell."

"Frosted?" Beth's giggles grew louder. "Ya mean highlighted?"

"My momma used to say she was gonna get her hair frosted when she went to the beauty shop." He shrugged. "Either fuckin' way, I didn't get my hair done."

"Neither did I," she said with a big grin.

"I couldn't tell," he lied and handed her the food.

They were quiet the entire time they ate, and Beth finally asked, "Do ya ever think about what might happen to us?"

He nodded. "Then I think that it ain't worth a thought right now. Just gotta get through the day."

"What if we never find my family?" She asked quietly, peering up at him with those wide, blue eyes.

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip for a moment then said, "I guess I could be your family, and you could be mine."

Their gazes stayed locked for several long, endless seconds before Beth said, "I already think you're my family."

The moment was heavy again, and he did the only thing he could think of. He leaned across the space separating them and kissed her lightly before pulling away. Then he went and said, "Told ya, didn't I?"

"Told me what?" She asked in a dazed voice.

"That I'd have ya fallin' all over me."

Beth made a disgusted noise and slapped his shoulder. "You're such an ass."

Daryl smiled as he ate and scooted closer to her until their shoulders touched. He laid his head on her shoulder and nuzzled his face against her hair. "Ya like me," he whispered.

"And you like me," she spoke against the top of his head.

"I don't think this could have worked out better for either one of us," he said and sat back up. "Now all we gotta do is stay alive."


	11. Chapter 11

Ch. 11

Thank you all so much for your reviews! I'm so sorry I couldn't answer them, but I love reading them all.

The questions about Beth's sexual experience will be answered in the coming chapters.

* * *

A harsh winter wind blew through the crack in the door, as they got ready to go out and take care of the walkers along the fence.

There weren't many left out in the front, and they had decided that they couldn't chance it any longer. The gate was protection, and if they let the walkers press to long in one spot, they would lose it.

"Ya watch yourself," he said as they opened the bottom door.

She knew he couldn't hear her response because the growls from the walkers intensified as soon as they stepped into view.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking along the fence, making noise, spreading the out and stabbing them through the eye. The arrows were their weapon of choice, and their target was the soft eye tissue. It was easier than stabbing them through their skulls with knifes. They had to be more precise, so it took longer, but it ended up working better than anything else.

Occasionally, one of them would have to go to the other fence and kill a walker that had come back out of the woods, but that had only been a few times over the course of the afternoon.

As the sun was getting low in the sky, and they were sweating and covered in splatters of blood, the last walker hit the ground. Beth's arms were so sore, and she couldn't imagine how Daryl felt. He seemed to be on a single-minded mission and had taken down more walkers than her.

"I vote that we take a long break in doin' anythin'," Daryl said and stretched out his back.

"Me, too," she said and tossed the killing arrow down at the base of the tower. "I'd kill for a shower right now."

"Ya'd think with all the shit we been doin' today that we could manage that," he said and pealed off his thick coat. "Sonofabitch, I'm gonna burn up."

"We could use some of the water in the reserve pond," Beth said and nodded along the tree line.

Daryl nodded and picked up his crossbow. "C'mon. It'll be freezing."

"Do ya think we should wash off walker blood in our fresh water?" Beth asked as he pulled open the front gate.

"Get the bucket that ain't a toilet and scoop out the water. It'll have to do for now."

It didn't take very long at all to fill up a bucket and get started. Once they had rinsed off their arms and hands, they took turns using the small washcloth they had to wipe off each other's faces and necks.

"How'd ya get so much blood behind your ears?" She asked with a sigh as she scrubbed his skin.

"I dunno," he muttered. "Just hurry up. Tired of bein' fussed over like a baby."

Beth rolled her eyes. "And that whinin' sure does help you're defense that ya ain't a baby."

He snorted as she pulled her hand away. "That'll have to do. You're an absolute mess, Daryl."

"I'm a dirty boy," he said, barely containing his laugh.

"Oh yeah, you are," she agreed with a nod.

Daryl stepped back and picked up his bow, looking around while Beth redid her ponytail. She wanted to wash her hair, but it was too cold, and it would take too much effort to get more clean water. Not to mention, the sun was setting on them.

She picked up the bucket and walked it to the tree line before pouring it out onto the fallen leaves. What Daryl had said before, during the storm, had been right. Most people didn't have shelter or food, much less the ability to clean the blood and dirt off their bodies at the end of the day.

"You okay?" He asked as she started walking back in his direction.

"Yeah, just thinkin' about how terrible it must be out there right now. I wonder where my dad is. He's older, ya know?"

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip. "Your dad's prolly fine, Beth. I imagine he knows how to survive. Plus, he's a doctor, right?"

"A vet," she whispered, thinking about all the time he used to spend traveling around to farms and looking over their sick horses and cows.

"He knows how to treat wounds, though. Ya said he did surgery on that boy, and he wasn't even in a damn hospital." Daryl paused. "He might be cold, just like us, but I bet he's still givin' 'em hell."

Beth smiled. "I bet he is, too."

"Let's go back inside then," he said and pointed to the tower. "Need to get the fire goin' and get somethin' in our stomachs. We put in a lotta work today."

"Yeah, we sure did."

They walked side-by-side, and once inside the gate, Beth looked over all the walker bodies inside the other fence. Daryl was right again. That would start stinking bad once the cold weather left. It wasn't exactly pleasant at that moment either.

"How many of those do ya think is in the prison?" She asked.

"A lot."

Beth nodded. "Yeah, I doubt it would be any warmer inside there anyway."

Daryl shrugged. "Might be in some parts of it. We could open up that door to C block," he said and pointed to the closest building with the huge letter painted on the side, "and look, but there could be a hundred ready to pour out. Maybe one day we'll have more people and can try to take it."

"Yeah. One day," she said and opened the tower day. "Tonight, though, we'll just have to settle for our fire and some canned beans."

"Don't say 'settle'," he muttered.

"I know," she whispered. "We're lucky. I know that. I'm just bein' a pain s'all."

"You're not," he said quickly then backtracked. "Maybe a little, but it's not 'cause you're ungrateful. You're just worried and tired."

"That's the truth. My arms are like lead."

"Look at it this way," Daryl said. "Tomorrow we ain't gotta do shit. The walkers that were our biggest threat are gone, and ya saw that yard just like I did. All those doors were shut tight. Nothin'll get through that hole they made. Baby doll, we managed to take an entire prison yard, just the two of us. If I had my way, we'd get shitfaced drunk to celebrate."

Beth smiled. "I've never been drunk before. Never even had a drink at all, in fact. Daddy never let the stuff in the house after he got sober."

Daryl closed the hatch behind Beth, and she went right to work warming up some dinner for both of them.

"I'ma have to fix that," he said.

She heard the thump of his boots on the floor and shook her head. "Should we really bein' gettin' wasted in the apocalypse?"

"I think that's prolly one of the best decisions in the apocalypse, to be completely honest," he answered.

Beth shook her head and stirred the beans in their can. "Ya find the booze, and I'll happily sit up here with ya and drink it all down."

"Looks like I got somethin' to do tomorrow then."

* * *

Beth woke up and found Daryl gone. She figured it might be outside checking his snares, but when she looked out the window, she saw that the car was gone.

"He was completely serious," she whispered to herself. "Crazy."

Nearly an hour passed before he pulled back up to the tower, and she had already taken her bow and went out into the woods to check their traps herself. Nothing was there, and that didn't look good. Daryl said that animals usually got scarce in the worst parts of winter, and that's what Beth knew they were in.

She went down to the ground level as quickly as she could to let him in, and he hopped out of the cruiser, grinning stupidly. His trip scavenging must have gone better than hers.

"I got the good stuff," he told her and opened the door to the backseat.

Beth peeked inside and saw two wood crates with mason jars inside. "What's that?"

"Moonshine," he said like she was an idiot.

"Where'd ya get it?"

"I know a place or two," he hedged and pulled out a box and handed it to her.

"Daryl, what kind of misdemeanors are on your record?"

"I wasn't runnin' shine, sweetheart," he laughed. "My daddy was a drunk, and this was his drink of choice. I know every still in this part of Georgia."

"Oh," she said and walked toward the tower door. "Is moonshine even any good? If it's made wrong it can make ya real sick, right? Daddy said that bad moonshine could make ya go blind."

Daryl snorted. "Trust me, girl, this shit isn't bad." They sat down the crates on the other side of his motorcycle inside the tower, and he took out two jars. "Besides, I wasn't gonna have your first drink be no damn peach schnapps."

"I like peaches," she muttered.

"You'll come to like this, too. It's better the more ya drink it."

"That's not a ringin' endorsement."

"You'll be too wasted to care soon."

"We should drink lots of water, right?"

"Prolly."

Upstairs, Daryl sat both jars on the desk and looked out over the yard to the woods. "Think we need to hunt first?"

"How long are ya plannin' on us bein' drunk, Daryl?" She asked and looked at the regular size mason jars. She didn't know what moonshine tasted like, but she knew it was strong.

"Nah, just don't want us to have to get out after we start our drinkin'."

"Well, I went out while you were gone, and there wasn't anythin' in our snares."

He snapped his head to face her. "Ya went out by yourself?"

Beth shrugged. "I know what to do."

Daryl nodded but didn't look too happy about her going off on her own. He didn't say anything, though.

"Both gates are locked, we got a fire, canned food, and water," he said.

"I don't have a good feelin' about this," Beth said as he opened up the first mason jar.

Daryl took a large gulp and passed it off to her while he held in a cough. "Sip it," he managed before she put the glass to her lips.

The moonshine hit her tongue and burned all the way from her throat to her stomach. She pulled a face, and Daryl laughed at her. "That's the most disgustin' thing I've ever tasted."

"Take another sip," he encouraged her and walked to stand right in front of her. "Go on, girl."

Beth cut her eyes at him and took a bigger sip. It still burned, but it wasn't as bad. "It's okay," she muttered before taking another sip.

"Slow down," he said. "This stuff here'll put ya on your ass."

"Catch me?" She asked with a flirty grin as the warmth in her stomach sorta made everything else warm, too.

Maybe it wasn't such a terrible idea after all.

* * *

The house they had found was clean and locked up. The windows were boarded, and the group before him lay huddled on the floor still sleeping as the morning light started filtering through the slits in the windows. They had the blankets and sleeping bags they carried with them, and there were some that had been in the house to keep them warm, too.

Rick imagined that they had about three weeks of this deep cold before it would slowly start to warm up. Maybe they could stay there until then?

Hershel had taught him how to set a snare, and this house was close enough to town to go looking for food and water. They really needed a well, though.

The only good thing about the cold was the walkers were really moving slow and that allowed them all time to get away once a herd showed up.

He looked to where Lori and Carl were sleeping and rubbed a hand over his jaw. He was their family even if they weren't on the best of speaking terms, and he was the leader for the rest of them.

What he had been thinking when he yelled at them that it wasn't a democracy anymore? Why had he put all that weight on his own shoulders?

Truth was, not many people would want to do it, and those that did might not have the best motives. He thought about Shane for a second then shook his image away.

Shane would have been a good leader, too. Decisive and no nonsense. A few months ago, Rick had thought he was cruel and unfeeling. As he sat in the living room of a cold, abandoned house with a group of mismatched survivors all around him, Rick came to a stunning realization.

 _You had to be that way._

He had known it deep down for awhile, but admitting it to himself drove it home.

They would spend the day here, resting and regrouping, and then tomorrow morning, they'd start looking for a permanent place to stay. This house sure wasn't it. It wasn't strong enough to protect them from the walkers once the weather got better.

When he thought about it a little longer, he knew a place to go, but it would be a big risk in itself. If they could manage it, though, it would be home.

* * *

A/N: The scene with Rick and company takes place the same morning that Daryl went and got the moonshine.


	12. Chapter 12

Ch. 12

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I'm so happy that you love the story!

I really hope to hear your thoughts on this chapter, and I promise I'm making time to answer reviews this week!

* * *

They'd been drinking slowly for a while. Eating here and there. Way more than their normal rations, but neither one of them cared. It wasn't really a good thing. Irresponsible and stupid, but the tower felt different when they were laughing and teasing with their mason jars in hand.

As the day went on, the sun got covered up by grey winter clouds, and Beth watched as Daryl's mood went from happy drunk to contemplative drunk as it reached nighttime.

"I got to thinkin' about things while we were clearin' the fence yesterday."

"And?" She said and continued to open another can of food.

"We ain't gonna have much of a life if we gotta keep killin' these things until we die."

"Maybe not, but it's better than bein' dead, I think." Beth argued and ate some peas. "Besides, they've already decayed. I think that eventually, they'll just waste away."

"Maybe," Daryl muttered. "What'll we do about food once we run out?"

Beth stared at him and saw the hopelessness in his eyes and reached out her hand to him. He took it carefully, and she said, "We'll clear the bodies, and when spring comes we'll plant a garden."

She wondered what planting a garden entailed. Her momma had always done it before, and she was too busy running around during the spring and summers to really care. She knew how to can stuff, though. Her momma had made her help for that part.

Daryl grunted and twisted their fingers together as he took another sip from his jar. "My life's always been shit. I should be used to the ugly by now, shouldn't I?"

Beth shook her head and tried to figure out where this utter defeat had come from but decided it was real feelings being released by the alcohol. "No one gets used to ugliness, Daryl. They just protect themselves by trying to make it seem like they don't care anymore. Your childhood might've been horrible, but you're not bad 'cause of it. In fact, I think you're nicer. You're a kind man."

Daryl looked away and dropped her hand. "Don't know about that."

"Well, I haven't seen anythin' that would make me think otherwise."

"Ya ain't been around me that long. I have a hell of a temper."

"Really?" She asked and poked her fork into her food.

"My brother had a shorter fuse, so I didn't notice it until he left. I got into plenty of fights with men at the camp before you came along."

"I wouldn't have guessed that about ya. Why'd ya do it?"

"I's mad." He said with a shrug and tilted smile.

"At Merle?" She asked, pressing just a little.

Daryl took another drink of his nearly empty jar and snorted. "Him and the whole world."

Beth didn't want him to get pulled down anymore, so she sat aside her plate and scooted over to him. She took his empty plate out of his hands and set it next to hers. "You should thank God for droppin' me into your lap like a big ball of sunshine. You're a sad drunk."

She put her legs on either side of his hips and settled against his lap just like she described. Daryl's hands ran up her legs to her hips and he squeezed her tightly.

Beth leaned forward and brushed her lips softly over his. Once, twice, a third time before he pressed his lips back against hers, answering her invitation. This was the perfect way to take his thoughts someplace else.

He seemed so eager to kiss, but his touches were still hesitant. She didn't have a ton of experience, but Jimmy had always been trying to make a move on her as soon as they started dating, so Daryl's approach was a lot different than she had previously experienced or expected.

It was almost like he was looking for permission before he did anything, so Beth sighed against his lips and whispered, "You can touch me, ya know that, right?"

She could feel her cheeks flush from being so forward, but that could easily be written off as the moonshine in her system. She had never felt like this before, and she didn't know how to really voice the need that seemed to build low in her stomach and tingle out through every nerve ending of her body.

Beth only knew that she wanted to feel his skin pressed against hers. Not in some hurried movement, but in that calculated way that Daryl seemed to do all the things that were important.

"Ya sure?" He asked in a slurred whisper.

"Please," she said and took his hand at her hip and move it under his flannel shirt that she wore. He froze, and Beth leaned back. "If ya don't want to, then we don't have to. I don't mean to be pushy."

He shook his head. "'S not that I don't wanna do it." He met her eyes. "You want me? Ya sure ya ain't just a horny drunk?"

His question burned her down to her bones and she flushed bright red. Yeah, the alcohol was helping her make a move, but she had wanted this for days. It was just easier with the dull haze surrounding her bold moves. Beth knew that his question was meant to be playful, but she knew deep down that it went beyond approval now and almost all the way back to her asking if he had taken part in what went out in the camp they had met at.

Daryl Dixon was a good man. He was kind and his heart was in the right place, and he need to be assured that this was not what it had been for those women at Locust Grove.

"I want ya more than anythin'. I have all these feelings for ya and not a single one of them is out of obligation or repayment for anythin'."

He swallowed hard and leaned his head against her collarbone. His fingers twitched against her ribs and she leaned toward him again.

"It'd tear me up if ya thought ya owed me this," he whispered.

"How can I owe ya anythin' when we're in this together?" She asked quietly, playing with the hair at his neck. "And I've never been drunk before, so how was I to know what kinda drunk I'd be?"

The moment seemed to slow down as they tried to move forward. Daryl's movements were unsure and unsteady, but she wanted to give him a boost of confidence to move forward. Without a second thought, she reached down and pulled up the flannel over her head and tossed it aside, leaving her naked from the waist up.

"Damn," he muttered and let out a heavy breath.

Beth didn't wait for him to continue, she kissed him and pulled him by his hair to her.

It took a few seconds for him to catch up with her, but once he did, it was like a switch flipped on in his head.

One hand dug into her hair and the other slid up her side. She let loose a breathy moan when his thumb rubbed the side of her breast shyly at first then his index fingered traced the curve of it, finally he palmed her, squeezing just a little.

Daryl's lips moved from her mouth down her jaw then to her neck. She scooted back on his thighs to give him more room to move, and he sat up on his knees, almost knocking her over.

"Sorry," he whispered and leaned over her to where she was laying down on one of their blankets.

She was going to say, "It's okay," but that turned into a gasp as his mouth went back to her neck and his finger started circling her nipple.

She tried to take a deep breath and release some of the tension that was settling in her limbs making her muscles tight. Beth rubbed her thighs together, the friction making the tension more not less, and then Daryl parted her legs and settled his body against hers.

Center to center. Denim to denim.

"Oh god," he groaned and pressed his hardness into her.

Beth wanted to say something, too, but they'd done this before—minus the shirtlessness—and she was wondering when he'd move to more.

She didn't wait long.

His tongue replaced his fingers on her breasts and his hand slid down her stomach to her jeans. He tried to get them undone with one hand, but it wasn't going to work, so Beth reached down and tugged the button and zipper loose them shimmied them down to her knees.

Daryl sat back, breathing hard then took the material at her ankles in his hands and tugged until he threw her jeans behind him.

For a second, she just lay there, exposed, while he kneeled, fully clothed, staring at her. Daryl ran a hand through his hair and scratched the scruff of his jaw before he reached behind his neck and pulled the shirt he was wearing off.

He didn't move to unbutton his jeans, though, he just fell forward, catching himself on his hands beside her head.

"Ya should lose the pants," she whispered. "I think ya'd feel a lot better."

Daryl ran his nose over her jaw then shook his head. "I don't got any rubbers."

"It's okay," Beth breathed as his lips touched the sensitive skin below her ear. Even though she was in a lust and moonshine-fueled daze, she knew it was a bad idea. At the same time, she kept telling herself that one time wouldn't hurt anything.

Without responding, his hand went to her hip then slipped down to between his legs, and she forgot why she was talking at all.

* * *

She was warm and slick as his fingers parted her lips.

He honestly couldn't believe this happening, and he hadn't planned them getting drunk as a way for it to happen either.

His hand trembled as he tried to find the spots she liked. Right then, it seemed pretty easy with all the sounds she was making.

A little neck action, his mouth around those sweet, pink nipples, and his fingers exploring a part of her he'd never touched on anyone before.

His head was cloudy, and he was most certainly drunk, but the memory of this would be intact come morning.

Her hands went between them and she grabbed his belt, working it open. Against his better judgment—which had vacated the tower as soon as he had his first sip of moonshine—he stood up and chunked his jeans altogether.

She lay back on their blanket staring at him all flushed and wide-eyes before he moved back to the same position. Only this time, when his fingers found her pussy, she reached down and wrapped her hand around his dick.

Time seemed to slow down and speed up all at once. Her breathes hit his shoulder as she bent up a little to get a better grip on him, and he was hunched forward, thrusting his hips into her hand while he slide one finger then two into her center.

She was wet, so wet and the noises coming from her were sloppy and sweet all at once. He looked at her face and it was tight with pleasure.

"Can ya come like this?" He asked, one word bleeding into the next.

"Yeah, just a lil' more." She panted and her hand stilled on him.

He took his fingers away and grabbed her hand. "Show me."

Daryl thrust two fingers back inside and watched as she started circling her clit with her fingers.

He could do that.

Instead of using his thumb or other hand, he slid down lower and used his tongue, putting pressure against her and making her arch against his mouth.

She cursed and pulled his hair, and he knew without that buzz burning through his blood, he would have been too shy to do this no matter how much he wanted it.

She gasped suddenly and her legs closed around his head as she trembled on his fingers.

"Oh my god," she repeated over and over as he slowed down his fingers and eventually pulled them away.

Her hands were on his shoulders pulling him over her before he knew it and his dick was hard against her thigh.

This was the big part. The part that made him question if it was the right thing to do.

His hands shook again as he cupped her cheek and kissed her so softly.

"You're shakin'." She said breathlessly. "Is it too cold? I can't even tell anymore."

"Nah, baby doll. I ain't cold." Her hand slipped around him and drew him to her opening. He followed her guidance.

"Is this okay?" She asked.

He met her stare. Her flushed cheeks, glassy eyes, and tender smile.

The head of him was lined up right with her entrance, and he could already feel the deep warmth that would change everything for him. And it was the hooch talking, he knew it was, as he was whispered against her cheek. "I ain't never done this before. Don't think I'll be all that great."

Beth stilled instantly, and even though her words were weak and tangled, he knew what she was saying. "We should stop. You're first time shouldn't be drunk like this."

Daryl snorted. "Nah, girl. I think I'd be fuckin' nervous as hell otherwise."

"It should be special," she argued as her hand swept over his hair out of his eyes. "I wanna make it special for ya."

"This is perfect." He leaned down and kissed her shoulder. "You're so perfect."

With those words, he slid inside her in small strokes, until a collective gasp filled the tower as he bottomed out against her.

Daryl was well aware of her pleasure as little aftershocks rolled over him as he pulled out then pressed back inside. Her hands clutched at his shoulders and little huffs of breath made his skin tingle on his neck.

The feelings that were working their way through his body turned his mind number. He had absolutely no idea that it could be like this.

His world had narrowed down to the roll of her hips to meet his, and how his hand skimmed her body to her knee then hitched it up higher on his waist. The space of shared air and sweat. His skin sliding against hers with each thrust.

It was unfair the effect it had on his body and his lack of control over it. The better it felt, the harder he went. The harder the movements, the closer he got. It became a race that he wanted to stretch out and win immediately at the same time.

Daryl knew she wasn't coming again. She liked what was happening. No one could fake the involuntary gasps she made when he hit just the right spot or ran his lips over her nipples.

He sat back on his knees and took her hips in his hands, slamming into her body fast. He watched his dick disappear inside her and the way her small tits bounced with the force of the movements.

Finally, he met her eyes and caught the half-lidded stare and the way her mouth was slightly open as she tried to catch her breath.

He fell forward again, his lips meeting hers in a bruising kiss. His hips pinning hers as he pressed inside as far as he could go one last time. He came with a low groan against her mouth while he twitched inside her pussy.

"I'm sorry," he muttered.

Beth's hands stroked his back and hair. "There's nothin' to be sorry about."

He leaned away and slid from her body. With a heavy sigh, he laid to her side and stared up on the tower ceiling.

"God, that was so fuckin' good," he whispered.

"It really, really was," she agreed and laid her head on his chest. After several seconds, she asked, "Was it everythin' ya thought it would be?"

"Hell no. Thought it'd be weird."

"What? Why?" Beth peeked up at him with a smile.

He shrugged, feeling embarrassed for the first time since this all started.

"You can tell me anythin'," she whispered and kissed his shoulder. Her eyes looked as sleepy as he felt, but he was getting cold now that everything had slowed down.

Daryl reached over and grabbed his flannel shirt and tugged it on. With a shrug, he said, "Never really liked the idea of gettin' that close to anybody."

Beth hummed and sat up and started putting on her clothes, too. "I can understand that. It's really intimate," she whispered.

"Yeah, and as ya can tell, I'm not an intimate person." He pulled up his jeans and the two pair of socks. "What made ya do it before?"

He didn't want to know the answer. He didn't want to think about it at all. Still, the question slipped out.

"I don't really know," she said and paused. "It just seemed like the thing to do. Everyone else was."

The noncommittal grunt that he let loose probably let her know that he thought it was a shitty reason, but she didn't say anything else. Instead, she stared off into the growing darkness as Daryl put more wood onto the fire.

"Ya've done stuff besides sex," she said with certainty.

"I ain't never done anythin' like what I just did with you."

"That's a cop out," she muttered. "Now you're just tryin' to get around the question."

"Ya never asked me a question."

Beth huffed.

"What's your deal?" He asked and sat down, taking her leftover peas off the floor. Beth was fully dressed and covered herself up with one of their blankets as she watched him. It all felt off now.

"I don't know," she said before burrowing down against the pillow. He let her take a little bit to gather her thoughts, while he ate like he didn't care about what was going on in her head. "Do you like me or did I sorta force ya into somethin'?"

"Ya didn't force me to do shit," he said and grabbed a bottle of water. "Drink this and drink a lot of it or you're gonna be fucked up come mornin'."

"You're tryin' to avoid talkin' to me." She took the water with a sigh and sat it off to the side.

"I don't like to talk about this kinda stuff." Daryl leaned his head back and closed his eyes, hoping she would take the hint.

"I wanna know what we are," she whined. "I mean, we're not just friends that had sex, right? We're more than that?"

"Where the hell is this comin' from?" He asked himself out loud. "Girl, me and you are in this 'til the end, okay?"

"But can you love me?" Beth asked and threw the blankets off of her legs as she sat up.

"I dunno if I _love_ anythin'." The answer was honest, but she looked like he slapped her, so he backtracked. "I ain't never tried."

Even through her buzz, she wasn't fooled, though. She downed the bottle of water and grabbed another, doing the same, before taking her place on their pallet again.

"This wasn't supposed to go this way. We were supposed to say that we loved each other."

Daryl snorted. "That how it went before, princess?"

She gasped and turned to face him, suddenly losing the drunken look in her eyes. "You're such an asshole."

The smirk slid off his face as she moved her blankets away from his.

"Hey," he said and grabbed the one under her and pulled her toward him. She slipped and fell against the ground as he tugged. Once he was close enough, he leaned over her from the side. "I don't know what ya want from me. I don't know what to do," he told her as honestly as he could.

"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said then sniffed, wiping her eyes.

"You're drunk," he said lightly. "We just screwed around for the first time. Prolly wasn't the best combination."

"I liked it. I wanna do it again," she said and then buried her face into his shirt. "I wanna be important to you."

Daryl sighed and held her close for a couple of minutes before he whispered, "You're the reason I'm here, and why I try. That's gotta count for somethin'."

She didn't answer, though, and soon he realized she had fallen asleep in his arms.


	13. Chapter 13

Ch. 13

Thank you all so much for the reviews last chapter! I hope you enjoy this one, too!

* * *

The winter sun was an unforgiving bitch that was sending lightening bolts of pain through Beth's head as she struggled to open her eyes.

She was warm, and Daryl's arm was wrapped around her waist, so she tried to fight through the pain. It could be a lot worse.

That's when she remembered she had cried the night before, and she curled into a tight ball. Good lord, she was never drinking again. She was self-conscious and jealous, and she had no right to be the latter.

Daryl was hers, though. And it didn't feel right to think of him with anyone but her.

"Then don't think about it, Christ Almighty, girl," he muttered and hugged her closer to him. "There ain't anythin' to be jealous over. A few blowjobs and getting jerked off a couple of times don't really count for shit in the grand scheme of things."

"I didn't know I said that out loud," she groaned and her stomach rolled.

"Don't matter none," he said. "Gotta move past it. It's easier to get it out of the way now instead of lettin' it shimmer between us for days. Ain't got time for that bullshit."

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Me, too. I shouldn't've said that about your last time. That was a dick move."

Beth shrugged. "It's not far from the truth, but I'm pretty sure it was just a reaction to what happened and not real feelings."

"How can ya say that?" He asked and turned her to face him.

"'Cause I said it back without thinkin', and I've been with you a few weeks and feel more for you than I ever felt for him, so I don't know what to do with it." Beth opened her eyes to meet his stormy blue ones.

"Ya don't gotta do anythin' with it," he whispered. Daryl pushed back the hair from her forehead then cupped her cheek. The rough skin of his hand, reminding her of how they felt other places, _lots_ of other places the night before and she blushed. "Nothin' changes 'cause we're like this. We're still the same people. We're still partners."

"I love you," she whispered, finally letting the words meet the freezing air around them. "I know it might seem like I want ya to say it back, but I don't. Not unless ya mean it, but I want ya to know that I love you. I said it before to tick a box, and now I'm sayin' it 'cause I feel it."

She watched as different emotions shifted through his eyes: shock, disbelief, terror. Not one of them was soft and giving. Not one was a look of love. She tried not to let it hurt her feelings, so she closed her eyes, severing that connection.

"I'm gonna be sick," she said and pushed his shoulder so he would roll away. Beth stood up on shaky legs and she gripped the edge of the desk, trying to steady herself. Daryl stayed covering the hatch with his body, and Beth's stomach finally gave up the fight.

She turned and ran out onto the ledge, holding onto the railing as she vomited right over the side.

* * *

His hands were on her hips to keep her from going over.

That's what he told himself at least.

She got it all out of her system in one go that lasted a few minutes, drawing a straggling walker from the woods with all the noise she was making.

"Causin' trouble," he teased her and pointed to the rotter.

"I'm dyin'."

"Ya ain't dyin'," he said, ignoring his own headache. He had plenty of hangovers. This was just the next one in a long list. "Ya need to get somethin' in your stomach. Somethin' good and greasy."

"Well, take the cruiser down to McDonald's and buy me some hash browns, okay?" She snarked then laid her head against the railing.

"That your favorite breakfast food?" He asked, trying to take her mind off of her stomach.

"No, I like scrambled eggs with Tabasco sauce."

Daryl's stomach rumbled. "I liked waffles with lots of butter and syrup. When I's a boy, my momma used to make them on Saturday mornin's. My old man would go out on Fridays and wouldn't come back until Sunday afternoon usually, so things were good then."

"That's a nice memory of your mom," she said.

"Yeah," he agreed, ignoring the lots of terrible memories that started to close in on the good ones. "Ya done here?"

"I think so." Beth nodded and stood up straight.

"Why don't ya lay down, and I'll go check the snares, okay?"

"Yeah, I think that's for the best," she said, and Daryl watched as she swallowed hard.

He wrapped his arms around her and rocked her slowly. "Poor, baby girl," he whispered into her ear.

"You can take the rest of that stuff and throw it out."

Daryl laughed softly. "Oh no, sweetheart. You're a fun drunk."

"Except when I'm not."

"Guess I just can't mess around with ya when you're drunk anymore."

"We should definitely get condoms," she said quietly.

He cleared his throat, allowing himself to admit what he had done the night before. "Pretty slim chances, right?"

"Yeah," she said and nodded. "It was just that once, and we'll be careful from now on."

"We will."

Once she was settled on the blankets away from the hatch, Daryl made his way down the ladder and out of the tower. He walked slowly, carefully looking over the ground for any sign of walkers during the night but finding none. He used his crossbow to kill the walker that was wondering around from Beth's noise, and then set off into the woods.

The silence was nice for his pounding head, but the snares were empty and the animals were tucked away in their homes. More canned food for them, and not anything that would cure a hangover.

Tomorrow, after they both felt back up to speed, they would take the car and go through some houses nearby. He didn't want to go into the towns at all. It was cold and anyone still alive would be desperate as hell trying to find food. They would go into towns and cities. They would die.

Daryl caught sight of the tower and sighed. He wasn't going to let her die, but he sure as hell wasn't taking great care of her either.

 _Just make it to the end of winter_ , he kept reminding himself. After winter, they could plant crops, they could really look for her family, they would sleep with the tower door open because it was too damn hot instead of letting the smoke out.

His thoughts went briefly to the prison and the cache of supplies inside. There would be an infirmary, a cafeteria, beds, blankets. Probably a generator. The thought of chancing it with Beth didn't sit well with him, though.

Two people against whatever could have been inside there?

Once he was inside the gates, he looked out toward the prison. Beth was laying down, probably asleep again, she would be useless today.

He wasn't.

Her words had seemed to light a fire in him. One that he didn't know how to tend to, but he also didn't know how to burn out either. Before last night, they were having fun and friends, but that crossed some line, and as much as he didn't understand it, he couldn't deny it.

Daryl took his crossbow off his shoulder and opened up the second gate that led into the prison yard. He used the carabineers to lock it back into place once he had slipped through, and he started walking toward the prison.

Yeah, if Beth went with him, he'd be too worried about getting her out if rotters showed up. If it was just him, he could do a little looking around without worrying.

It was the best thing for him to spend his time doing. Otherwise, he'd sit up there in the tower, driving himself insane over Beth Greene and her words.

* * *

Beth yawned and stretched, finally making herself wake-up after spending a while longer sleeping. She hoped that since Daryl had been gone so long that meant that he had managed to track something for dinner.

Her stomach wasn't sick anymore, but her head still hurt a little. She decided that while she waited for him, she would get some practice in with her bow, so she slipped on her boots and started down the ladder.

Everything was set up, so she took an arrow and placed it just like Daryl had taught her. She took a cleansing breath and drew back the bowstring then let it fly. It struck the target, but not the center. She must have had her elbow too far out.

Beth adjusted her stance and tried again.

Closer.

Another adjustment.

Closer again.

Finally, she was hitting consistently inside the middle two rings.

"That's some good shootin'," Daryl's voice floated to her from the wrong side of the fence.

Beth turned and saw him jogging across the prison yard.

"What're ya doin'?" She asked and ran for the gate, trying to get it unlocked.

"Just wanted to look around," he said as he moved through the small opening she made for him.

"By yourself?" She was completely shocked at his behavior.

"There wasn't anythin' out in the woods, and we need food. Got a treasure trove in our backyard but can't get in the motherfucker."

Beth sighed. "It might have stuff inside, but we don't know what stands between us and it."

Daryl was quiet for a long moment then said, "We will now. I had to leave the door open."

"Excuse me?" She said, her voice was deathly quiet and unfamiliar to her own ears.

As if the walkers within heard their conversation, the first one stumbled out of C Block, growling and moving toward them as if it had been following Daryl all along.

"I went inside, but I may have found a few more than I could take care of myself when I got down into the middle of the prison."

"What?" Her voice was bordering on hysterical as two more walkers came out.

"In my defense, C Block is really clean. A few rotters locked in cells, but I took care of them like that," he snapped his fingers to illustrate his point.

Beth didn't even second-guess herself as she started slapping his chest. "I can't believe you, Daryl Dixon. Just what the hell are ya tryin' to prove? You coulda died!"

"But I didn't, and we're one step closer to food."

She growled then and pushed him hard. "It's not worth it! Look at them!" She waved her hand to the walkers that were now spilling out of the prison. There were more than behind that fence that had broken in the workout yard.

"It'll be okay," he said and started chewing on his thumbnail. "We'll just let 'em out."

"You really think it's that simple?" She asked breathless and starting to get scared.

"Get your bolts," he motioned to the target, and Beth took off running for them. "We'll open up the gates, and let 'em go."

"I don't think it's gonna work," she hollered back. "I think they'll stick around the bottom of the tower."

"If you keep yellin' like that, they sure as hell ain't gonna leave," he yelled back and opened up the gate toward the woods.

"If you weren't such a freakin' man and hadn't went in there on your own, we wouldn't be doin' this right now."

Daryl let out a frustrated growl and strode across the expanse of yard to the gate. "Yeah, well, I'm a fuckin' moron, okay? Must have sucked all my brains out through my dick or somethin'."

"Why do ya gotta be such a crude asshole?" She walked right past him as he threw open the gate to the prison yard.

"Guess it's just in my blood," he said and flipped her off as he walked to the tower, throwing the door open. "Get your ass in here before we end up runnin' through the fuckin' woods to get away from these biters."

"Screw you," she said and started to walk past him as the walkers made it to the halfway point between the prison and the fence.

"Yes, please," he said with a smirk firmly in place.

"Why do I love you?" She asked as he shut the door and locked it behind them then rolled the bike in front of it.

"Must be my sterlin' personality," he retorted and crossed his arms over his chest.

Beth eyed him up and down then shook her head. "Right now, if you'd just stop talkin' and look pretty, it'd be better for both of us."

Daryl's smartass shell cracked, and he smiled widely at her. "I bet I look a lot prettier if you get on your knees."

"Ugh, no," she muttered and started up the ladder. "God knows when the last time you washed your balls was."

"What the hell?" He asked and stormed up after her. "I went down on you last night."

Beth got up to the top of the tower and watched as the walkers made their way through the gate, some continued on, others shuffled outside the tower, clearly smelling their presence.

"I'm sorry I didn't realize we were keepin' a tally." She turned her head right as he opened his mouth. "If ya say the word 'tally whacker' anywhere in this next sentence, I swear on all things good and holy, I'll toss ya over the ledge."

He huffed. "Actin' like ya know my ass."

Beth eyed the dead as the moved from the prison through the gates. Daryl did the same from the other side of the tower.

Some walkers got turned around and started walking down between the fences, so they would have to take care of them at some point if they didn't walk out.

Surprisingly, it only took a few hours for the walkers to disappear except for maybe ten of them. In that time, Daryl and her remained stuck in an awkward silence.

"Guess it's time ya learned to shoot a movin' target from a long distance," Daryl said and handed her her bow. "I made a mistake about the cellblock," he mumbled.

"I shouldn't have hit you." She set up an arrow and whispered, "I still sorta love you."

"Then I've been lucky all over the place today," he said and felt a little bit warmer at her words.

"So, what now?" She asked and went out onto the ledge.

"I think we need to get down on the ground, close the gates, and take care of the ones in the middle first. I count four in and six inside the prison yard."

Beth counted each walker. Carefully making sure that she didn't miss any. "That's what I got, too."

"Okay, you close the fence toward the woods, I'll do the other. Then we'll see what ya can do, Greene."

Beth didn't like the sound of that at all.

* * *

The fences were easy to close, but it got the attention of all the walkers. Luckily there were only four in the middle, so Daryl stood with his back to Beth's and held his crossbow waiting until they got closer.

"Keep your breathin' steady," he reminded her in a whisper as he heard her normal breathing turn to pants.

"I can't," she whispered back.

He took out the nearest walker to him as the other growled on the other side of the fence. "Ya can. It's just a target."

"It's movin'." She cringed a little. "And growlin'."

Daryl tried his best not to laugh, but he failed. Her voice was getting high pitched, and he knew she was freaking the fuck out.

"Just aim and let it go."

He heard the bow release followed by a mumbled, "Shit."

"Reload," he told her and took out the second walker before turning to her. "Ya got two to kill. I done got mine."

"How do ya do it so fast?" She asked as she aimed.

"I haven't had much practice. I'll get better with time from what I understand," he joked.

Beth turned her head, looking confused before she snorted and returned to aim at the bitter who was getting much closer than he liked.

"Keep your elbow in. You're gonna yank it right."

"I know," she muttered in a clearly frustrated voice. The second arrow flew and went wide right of its head. "Motherfucker!" She growled. "Stop movin'!"

"I'm sure it'll listen," he said and went to the fence to stab the six that gathered there.

"I need your help," she said, backing away as the walker got closer.

He didn't know how to help. He wasn't ever given decent help or tips. Still, he didn't like the sound of powerlessness in her voice, so he walked to her and placed his hands on her hips. "Straighten up," he said quietly. "Pull it back slowly." She did as he said. "Let out that breath so ya don't pass out." A pause as the air flowed from her lungs. "Now."

The bolt struck its shoulder and pulled it back a little. "There ya go. Again. A little higher and little left."

Jaw this time.

"Little higher. Little bit left."

It wasn't an all the way clean shot, but it got the thing in the forehead and it fell over.

"Good girl," Daryl said and kissed the back of her neck.

The other walker she had was down at the far end of the fence, having been around the corner and slow as shit. "He's too far, Daryl."

Daryl hummed and nodded then went back to the fence. "Get your other arrows and wait for him."

He took care of the remaining three walkers inside the prison fence as Beth did what he told her. Once she was back in place, he laid his hands on her shoulders. "Ya look hot as hell pullin' back that bow."

"Oh yeah?" She laughed and turned her head to the side to look at him.

"Yeah," he said and pulled her back into his body. He had a semi already. Once this walker was taken care of, they could make it full on, he figured. They didn't have shit else to do with all the biters in the woods now.

"You seriously have a boner?" She asked in an amazed voice.

"Nah, that's my knife, pervert," he joked, and she flushed red. Daryl pressed against her harder. "Yeah," he told her quietly.

"I can't think when you're behind me like that," she whispered.

He stepped away and watched as she tried to take down this other walker. Four arrows before the fifth one hit right where she needed it to.

"We're gonna have to work on that. Ya can hit a stationary object. That's good for huntin' most of the time, but not for self-defense."

"How do we do that?" She asked as she retrieved the last of her arrows.

He shrugged. "We'll figure somethin' out. Ya wanna go up there with me and shut C Block up again?"

Beth nodded and took his hand as they walked up the driveway together. He was getting used to having her like this—getting used to being happy even with all the death around them.

* * *

They were a mile away from the damn prison when a herd came through the trees in front of them.

Everyone quietly rushed to hide behind the nearest trees. Rick held his finger to his lips, knowing these people were already well-versed in how to behave when there were walkers close but not being able to stop himself. As long as they stayed quiet, the walkers would move across the road and into the trees there.

Maybe instead of keeping to the road, they could go up through the woods to get a better look before they tried to go inside. He wasn't stupid and neither were the others with him. A lot of those men were wearing orange jumpsuits and they were close enough to the prison that either these guys had been roaming around for a while, or they had just gotten out. Judging with how clean their clothes were, he figured they had gotten out which meant that the fences that he was counting on might have fallen.

"Rick?" Glenn whispered.

He turned his head and noticed that Glenn was pointing into the woods, and he nodded. As quietly as a group their size could, the moved away from the road, away from the walkers, and toward the prison or maybe an even bigger herd.

They were desperate. This couldn't fall through, and despite what might be in front of them, they had to try.


	14. Chapter 14

Ch. 14

Thank you all so much for your love of this story! I love writing them so much, and I appreciate all your reviews.

I hope you like this one. This is the chapter that played in my head as soon as I imagined these two, so to see it written out is awesome.

* * *

Inside the bottom of the tower, Daryl had her pressed against the wall, his hand splayed over her ribs.

"C'mon, girl," he breathed against her jaw. "I'll pull out this time."

"We can't," Beth whispered, silently hating the fact that there was no way she could let herself give in.

"I want ya so much," he said and pressed himself against her hip.

"I know. Trust me," she sighed as his lips sucked on her neck. "I know."

Her hands snaked between them, and she undid his belt and unzipped his jeans before reaching inside and wrapping her hand around his penis.

Just thinking that word made her wrinkle her nose. It sounded so formal, and she wasn't ever formal with Daryl, but she didn't know what else to call it. She had never called Jimmy's anything.

"What do ya call it?" She asked, breathlessly as he caged her in against the wall.

"Huh?" He asked and looked at her with wide, shining eyes. "Ya mean my dick?"

"Your _dick_ ," she whispered. "What about _cock_?"

"If ya want," he said through a low moan. "I don't give a fuck."

She wasn't a hundred percent sure what to do from here. She'd skipped third base and went straight home from second before.

 _It honestly couldn't be that hard to do_ , she thought to herself as she sank down on the ground in front of him.

"Are you?" He choked on his words. "Please."

Tentatively, she ran her tongue along the underside of his dick and watched as he jerked slightly. His thighs trembled, and he leaned on his forearms against the wall over her.

This was something he had done before. He knew what he liked here, and he could show her. That took pressure off her shoulders.

She took one of his hands and put it on the back of her head. "Don't be shy," she whispered.

His face was flushed, and Beth was pretty sure he couldn't string together a full sentence at that point. It was obvious he hadn't expected her to give in to him in any way.

With a couple more seconds of her mouth testing out different things, he finally tangled his fingers into her hair and said, "Start out soft? Use your tongue."

Beth smiled as she took him into her mouth and created a loose suction, moving her tongue over the vein along the bottom of his dick.

She had given him hell before about him not washing, but surprisingly, it wasn't bad. It was cold weather so he wasn't sweaty, and it seemed like he had managed pretty well to keep everything downstairs semi-clean.

If she was being completely honest with herself, his voice and groans made up for any distaste. The night before, he had been drunk and so had she. He hadn't been vocal but this was different. Daryl told her in soft whispers to go harder, suck more, and bashfully ask her to stroke his balls.

"I'm comin'," he told her in a tense voice and pushed her away.

She backed off and watched as he took himself in his hand and stroked himself in tight, strong movements before spilling onto the floor between them.

Was she supposed to swallow that?

"Nah," he said breathlessly, answering another question she hadn't realized she had asked. "Ya can, but I don't expect ya to."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "Maybe next time? See what the fuss is all about."

He raised an eyebrow and she just gave him a shy, proud smile. No words needed. Another first shared between friends and lovers.

Daryl helped her stand. Once she was on her feet in front of him, he slid his hands up her arms, to her shoulders then neck, finally cupping her cheeks before he leaned toward her and kissed her slowly.

Beth melted against him as his tongue traced her bottom lip. "Let's go upstairs," he whispered. "I'll pay ya back."

"Do ya think that's a good idea? Shouldn't we try and hunt?"

Daryl shrugged. "Lots of walkers in the woods now. It's really cold. Ain't nothin' near here."

She leaned up. "We can't have sex until we go lookin' for condoms."

"I know," he mumbled and pulled her toward the ladder. "I'll keep it in my pants."

They climbed the ladder and once they were in the top, Beth said, "I say that as much for me as I do for you. It would be really easy to give in, but I don't wanna bring a baby into this."

"Me neither," he said and went to lean against the desk with his back to the woods.

"Remember I told ya that Rick had a wife?" He nodded and she continued on, "She was pregnant when the farm got overrun. She'd just found out, so she wasn't too far along or anythin'. Right before I tried to kill myself, she came to talk to me and try and make me feel better I guess. Anyway, told her she was selfish for wantin' to bring a baby into this world. I mean, what would that baby know but pain and sufferin'?"

He grunted and looked down at this boots. His arms were crossed tightly over his chest.

"She wouldn't have had the baby yet if she's still alive, so we'll have to figure that out when we find them. If she's at the end of her pregnancy, we'll have a baby to take care of here, Daryl. Can you imagine a baby living _here_ or in that cell block?"

Beth watched him shake his head, but he didn't answer her.

"This world is cruel and harsh. I wouldn't want to have to raise my child in a place where they were constantly afraid of dyin'."

Daryl opened and closed his mouth a few times before he finally looked up at her. "I realize that shit sucks now, but ya know there were shitty parts of the world before this, right? Mommas had babies all the time with no hospital or medicine. Some women had all that, but still had a reason to be afraid every day for their families because of war or just terrible people. I mean, I get it, trust me. Havin' a baby now ain't exactly perfect timin', but there are worse things."

Beth stared at him in awe. "You wanted children one day." It wasn't a question, just an observation.

He shrugged. "Never really thought about it. Ain't sayin' I wanna have a kid now or any time soon. Just sayin' there are worse things than a baby. And it would be a damn shame if they treated that kid like a burden just 'cause it was born durin' this shit. Ain't the baby's fault."

"I think if we can prevent it, we should."

"We will, but that woman was married. Ya said their boy was older, too. Maybe they didn't think they'd ever have any more kids. This baby was prolly a hell of a surprise."

In truth, Beth had never really given it that kind of thought, but that was where Daryl's mind went immediately. She knew he was a good man, but this seemed to go even deeper than "good". He was truly decent and caring. So much more so than she had been.

"I guess I never thought of it like that," she admitted. "I's so wrapped up in myself to even think about what she might have been feelin'."

"Your momma had just died right in front of ya. Why would you be worried about a woman ya didn't even really know?"

"You are, and you don't even know her."

Daryl shook his head. "I wouldn't go that far. I feel bad for the baby. If we don't find 'em and get 'em settled here, she _will_ be a burden. She'll cry in the dark and bring down walkers. She'll need diapers and food and shit. It won't just be carin' for the group. They'll be focused on her and not themselves. That'll make 'em sloppy, and ya need your daddy and sister."

The way he said that she _needed_ her family made her think that Daryl figured she might not need him anymore, and she crossed the tiny space to stand in front of him. "When we find 'em, nothin'll change between us, okay?"

He nodded slowly. "Don't think they'll like me all that much."

"Why?" She said and placed a hand on his chest. "You're the best man I've ever met."

"I ain't really the kinda guy a father wants for his daughter."

"Well, we'll just have to see what daddy thinks," she said with a smile then rose up on her toes to kiss him softly. "For what it's worth, you would've been a good dad."

He snorted. "I sure as hell know what _not_ to do."

"I'm sorry that I feel so strongly about this."

Daryl shook his head. "Don't change nothin' for me. I want you. I got you. As long as I can keep that goin' for me, I'll be sittin' pretty."

Beth took his hand and pulled him toward their blankets with a knowing smile. "I believe I was promised some type of payment?"

"Oh yeah, girl. I got your payment," he said and reached out dragging her to him and laughing as he pushed her against the other desk space around the tower walls.

The sun was getting low and they had all the time in the world to play.

* * *

With her jeans around one ankle and her legs thrown over Daryl's shoulders, he would have gladly taken down a herd of walkers just to stay in those moments for the rest of his life.

Her groans and words. The way she pulled his hair. Even the way she tasted on his tongue was all secret things just for him. Her hips bowed up and she gasped his name for the second time in less than thirty minutes.

"Stop," she whispered and pushed his head away. He moved like she asked and scooted up her body. He was ready for another go, but she was drained with a sleepy smile on her face.

"What do ya want for dinner?" He asked before he kissed her softly.

"A cheeseburger with onion rings."

"Canned green beans. That's a good choice, baby doll."

She laughed and looked him square in the eye. "I love you."

Daryl smiled shyly and ducked his head. He wasn't sure he would ever get used to hearing those words come out of her mouth. Sure, he was pretty certain that he loved her back, but to put that out in the air? That took some courage that he couldn't quite gather up yet. "You're gonna make me soft."

Beth slid her hand between them and pressed against him through his jeans. "Not possible," she whispered.

His eyes widened at her motions as she stroked up and down through his clothes. "Don't wanna dirty up this underwear," he mumbled and pulled away. The last thing he needed was to embarrass himself that way.

"Take 'em off then," she suggested and sat up to undo the buttons.

She didn't need to tell him twice, his hands went to help her and his thoughts turned away from dinner and straight to what her tongue and hands could do to him in a matter of minutes.

The moment she pushed his jeans around his thighs, they heard gunfire from the woods.

Daryl shot up and yanked his jeans back into place, buttoning them and scanned the horizon as Beth got dressed behind him. He took his bow, looking all through the woods, but he saw nothing. He only heard the occasional pop of a gun.

"Someone needs help," she said in a tight voice. "All those walkers out there. They're probably surrounded."

"We can't go out there," Daryl said and shook his head.

Beth held her bow tightly in her grip. "Do we just let them die? Is that what this has come down to now."

"Maybe they'll get away."

"Maybe they won't." Beth took a sharp breath. "What if it's my daddy? What if he got our note and figured it out, Daryl?"

In truth, he had forgotten all about that hint at where to find them. They had been looking randomly, but maybe they had gone back to the farm, looking for shelter, and realized that Beth was alive. If it was them, he couldn't leave them out there. Three more shots, and Daryl went to the hatch. "We need a shotgun and some shells."

Beth ran around and got what they needed while he went down the ladder to look around the bottom of the tower.

Once Beth was down at the bottom with him, she opened the door and he pushed it out. "Ya ever shoot a shotgun before?"

"No," Beth said with a sharp shake of her head.

"Well, fuck," he muttered. "Kick back's a bitch. It'll knock ya on your ass and maybe even shoot me." He sighed. She could shoot, and he wasn't about to leave her. "C'mon, we're gonna run out to the opposite side of the woods and make some noise."

Beth acted fast and before he knew it they were racing across the grass to the tree line away from the gunshots.

Daryl stopped and looked around once they were into the woods a little ways. "Watch my back. I'll shoot our fuckin' buckshot into the trees, okay? It'll get their attention over here." He loaded the gun and muttered, "What a fuckin' waste."

"So, we're drawin' 'em toward us?" She asked, staring at him with terror in her eyes.

"We'll be back in the gate before they can get here."

Daryl aimed toward a far off tree, and Beth turned around in a slow circle, keeping an eye on everything. He fired six shells before he stopped and motioned her back toward the prison. Daryl handed her the shotgun to hold. "Be careful," he said. "It's hot." She held it gingerly and began to run again as Daryl said, "That's all we can give 'em."

"Surely it's enough," she said breathlessly as they broke through the trees and toward the gate. "I really hope the walkers don't come back to the fences. That's too many."

"I fuckin' know," Daryl said before chewing on his lip and opening up the gate. "We'll carry in the firewood just in case."

It didn't take long at all to carry in the rest of the firewood, and Daryl knew he would have to make a trip out soon, but if these people weren't her family, he definitely wouldn't be leaving her alone.

Once the sun set, they wouldn't have any way of knowing who was in the woods or if biters were coming. He wouldn't light a fire tonight with people in the woods if he didn't know who it was either.

There's no telling what kind of men they could be. What they were capable of. What he would become capable of if they threatened his home.

Before that moment, violence against another man beyond fighting was an abstract concept. He knew he would do it, but he didn't think too much about it. As he stared out into the fading sunlight, his heart hammered in his chest.

Beth could shoot and was decent with a bow if the target wasn't moving.

"Ya know how to throw a punch?" He asked without thinking it through.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "My big brother taught me."

Daryl nodded. "Take this." He handed her a knife from his pack. "Grab a pistol and some ammo and put it in your coat pocket. If people show up and try anythin', aim for their stomach. It's a bigger target. They grab ya? Kick 'em in the balls and run."

Beth stared at him, again a look of fear covering her features. "Daryl, do you think somethin' bad's gonna happen?"

"Don't know," he said quietly. "Just know it's about to be dark, and we could have people and walkers start comin' through."

Beth nodded and went area with the guns, and he kept an eye on the trees where the gunshots came from.

The more time passed, the more at ease he felt. Whoever it was probably ran as fast as they could with the walkers distracted. A few biters came out of the woods near where he had shot, but staggered around before disappearing again.

He turned his head to look back at the other line of trees when he saw a group of people running from the trees toward the fence.

Beth had been counting ammo and organizing weapons when he said, "Get your bow. Put a gun in your coat and follow me," he said evenly.

"What? Why?"

"'Cause someone's tryin' to cut into our fence, and I can't take them all by myself. They don't got any bags and they used a fuck ton of ammo already."

"Are ya sayin' we'll have to kill people?"

Daryl looked down at her, and she must have seen the truth in his eyes because she started breathing really hard.

"C'mon, girl," he said on threw open the hatch. "Keep it together for me until we figure out what's happenin'."

They practically slid down the ladder and pushed open the tower door.

Daryl's bow drawn and aimed, ready to fire at that moment. He caught Beth from the corner of his eye as she raised her bow and pulled it back. Her eyes were tight as they walked forward.

"There's a gate," he hollered and all the people looked up suddenly. He could really only make out the outlines of their bodies since they were so far away. "Don't need ya cuttin' a hole in our fuckin' fence." He nodded with his bow toward the gate on his right. "Y'all take one wrong step and you'll get an arrow in the chest, just so ya know," he added.

Beth's breathing was steady again as she held her aim. The group moved through the grass toward the tower and the gate, and it became easier to see the group members.

When they were halfway down the fence, an older man emerged from the back of the group, and Beth gasped at his side and her bow lowered immediately.

"Daddy," she whispered and dropped her bow altogether, running to the gate and sliding it open. "Daddy!" She hollered and ran down the fence line with Daryl hot on her heels.

When they got close enough for Beth to nearly tackle her father to the ground, Daryl looked over the people.

A brown haired woman enclosed Beth in a hug from the side while a guy with brown hair took the other side.

"Who are you?" A man asked from the front.

He was tired looking with nearly a full beard.

"Daryl."

The man held out his hand. "Rick Grimes."

He shifted his bow to the other hand and took Rick's in a quick shake.

"Glad y'all finally came on this way. We haven't been able to look like we wanted to with the cold."

"What?" Rick asked.

"The note we left y'all at the farm."

"We haven't been back there," he said and looked over his shoulder at the group hug still going on with some tears added in.

"Oh, well, me and her went there for a couple of days and left a note lettin' ya know where we were goin'. Don't matter none. You're here now."

A Chinese kid walked up then and offered his hand, too. Daryl took it and gave him a nod. "I'm Glenn. Just wanted to say thank you for taking care of her."

"Who said I did that?"

"She's mumbling your praises between tears," he said with a tight smile.

"I didn't do shit."

"If she said you did, you did," he said plain and simple. He cleared his throat. "I also wanted you to know that that guy is—was—her boyfriend. I can tell that y'all are close, so I just wanted to give you a heads up because he's gonna notice, too, soon."

"What?" Daryl asked. His heart was pounding in his chest as he really looked at the young guy beside her. His hand possessively on the back of her neck, just like Daryl's had been earlier.

"You two look like you've been," he trailed off then finally settled for, " _friendly_ recently." Glenn subtly pointed to his hair and then to Beth's shirt that wasn't her shirt but his and it hung off her shoulder a little and there from last night was a sweet purple bruise from his mouth.

"Oh shit," he muttered and scrubbed his jaw.

"Yeah," Glenn said and nodded. "If it were me, I'd have wanted to know."

"He gonna fight me?" Daryl asked.

"No one's gonna fight anyone," Rick cut in quietly. "Beth ain't some toy y'all can win."

Daryl laughed. "Officer Friendly, ya ever been in a fight over a woman?"

His eyes clouded for a minute and they cut to a very pregnant woman to his left who had her arm around a young boy. "Better not have to bury someone," he muttered and turned away.

"Things won't get that bad," Glenn assured him. "It's just—Jimmy's changed a lot since the farm, and he's got a short fuse."

His smirk was sure and immediate. "What'dya know. So's mine."


	15. Chapter 15

Ch. 15

Thank you all so much for your reviews! I was really excited that you loved the last chapter!

Here we go...

* * *

Her arms were around her daddy, and she was squeezing him so hard around his waist that he had to push her back a little.

"Bethy," he whispered. "Oh god, my baby."

"We thought you were dead," whispered her sister from her right.

"We looked in nearly every town we came to," a voice said from her left. This one caused Beth to pause as she recognized the touch on her neck and the familiar lilt to his words.

She gasped when she caught sight of him.

"I thought _you_ were dead," she whispered. "We went back to the farm and the R.V. was completely gone. Last thing I knew, you were in it."

"Rick pulled me out through the skylight right before it went up. I was lucky as hell to have him there."

Beth didn't even have to time to fully register her shock at seeing Jimmy alive and well and cussing before her daddy asked, "Where did ya go, Beth?"

She started to tell him about running through the woods as the farm went up, but she felt Daryl come up behind her, not touching, not making it seem intimate at all in the outward sense, but she could feel the heat of his body and his shirt she was wearing rubbed against her bare skin underneath, causing her to blush a little at the thought of what they'd just been doing upstairs.

It certainly hadn't been worrying about her family or even thinking her former boyfriend.

"Who's this here?" Her daddy asked.

"This is Daryl Dixon," Beth said and reached out behind her and immediately found his hand. "Daryl this is my dad, Hershel. My sister Maggie, and my," she paused just for a split second, "friend, Jimmy."

She didn't miss the questioning look that seemed to cross all their faces. "Sir," Daryl said and held out his hand, which Hershel took immediately. "I know she's sure glad to have y'all back, but we prolly need to get inside the fence again. Rotters are all over now."

"Yeah," Rick interrupted. "What was that all about? They just came outta nowhere."

Daryl led them back into the fence with Beth right at his side. She didn't reach for his hand, and he didn't reach for her, but they stayed close.

"Went into the prison today, and they followed me out," Daryl said casually. "We left the gates open to get 'em out of the yard."

"You went inside there?" Maggie asked in complete shock.

"Nah," Daryl said before she could. "She was still asleep."

Her daddy let out a breath he seemed to be holding. "Good. Ya made it this far, and now we're all here to keep ya safe."

Before she could protest, Daryl snorted. "Girl can take care of herself."

"I'm sure she can. She was on her own how long before you found her?" Jimmy asked. His voice heavily implied that Beth wasn't with him because she wanted to be.

Daryl shrugged. "She was on her own a few weeks before she found me. She's got a good aim, though. Should see her shoot a bow."

"Beth? With a bow?" Her sister asked with wide eyes.

"Ummhmm." Daryl closed the gate behind everyone and sighed. "Well, welcome home, I guess."

The group looked around and wandered away a bit, and Beth leaned closer to Daryl. "Ya okay?"

"Ain't much of a boy no more," he muttered, eyeing Jimmy.

"Well, I'm sure we've all grown up over the winter," she said softly, touching the back of his hand.

Daryl was right, though. Jimmy had gotten broad in the shoulders and leaner. A layer of scruff covered his jaw and the baby fat was gone from his face completely leaving him looking more man than boy.

"Y'all stayin' in the tower?" Jimmy asked from outside the circle of people near the door.

"Yeah," Beth said and motioned up with her hand. "It's a really great place. We can sleep instead of worry about what's coming since we have the fences and we're up so high."

Jimmy nodded, and everyone milled around, dropping a backpack here and there.

"We lost all our blankets and sleeping bags," Maggie said.

"We've got lots," Beth told her.

She was just about to say something else when Rick cleared his throat and everyone turned his way. "This is a good place, but it isn't ours." He looked over to Daryl who was standing behind Beth. "Will ya have us?"

Beth turned to look at Daryl who looked confused as hell. "Yeah, of course we want ya here," he finally said.

"Good," Rick said and looked down at his feet then back up at Daryl. "Where do we stay?"

Beth wasn't sure what was happening. Rick was the man in charge. He had a commanding presence, but he was deferring to Daryl in this situation. Even the people in his group looked confused.

Daryl cleared his throat and placed his hand on Beth's hip like the touch was grounding him. "I'd say that the women could sleep up in the tower along with the kid, and we can sleep down here. Got plenty of firewood to keep us all warm. We're runnin' low on food, but with y'all here, we can take a section of the prison. Maybe even find the cafeteria."

Rick nodded. "Ya heard him. It's gettin' dark. We'll eat together then let everyone get a good night's rest before we start helpin' Daryl and Beth clear their prison."

"It's ours," Daryl said in a strong voice. "Ain't just mine and Beth's. This ain't separate groups."

There was a stretch of silence before Beth said, "I think some introductions would be good. It's been awhile, and Daryl doesn't know anyone."

They all nodded and slowly, one-by-one, they came up and shook his hand. Lori, Carl, Carol, T-Dog, Glenn, Maggie, Hershel, and Jimmy came up last after everyone was already moving toward the door of the tower or looking down the fences up at the prison.

Beth almost moved out of the way, but Daryl wrapped a finger in her belt loop, stopping her.

"Beth's told me about ya," he said as he took Jimmy's hand.

"And just who are you again?" He asked, clearly stepping up and demanding an answer to whatever this was hanging in the air between them.

"Ya heard people say my name a few times over the last couple of minutes. Ya slow, Jimbo?"

Beth's heart hurt a little when she saw the anger rising in Jimmy's eyes. "What all did she tell ya about me? Seems like she forgot I existed."

Daryl shook his head. "Nah, she's always said good things. You were a good friend."

"A friend," he mumbled. "We weren't ever _just_ friends."

"Ya are now," Daryl said quietly, looking at him square in the eye.

Jimmy shook his head and turned to walk away, stopping suddenly and looked directly at Beth. "I never once gave up on ya," he said with a deep sadness in his voice. "I always knew ya were out here. I just needed to find ya. I can see that it took ya all of two weeks to spread your legs for some fuckin' asshole to save your skin."

Beth flushed, fury building in her chest, but Daryl beat her to it. "Ya know, some people might think you were a jealous prick."

Jimmy didn't say anything, just turned and walked off down the fence. "Don't let him try and make ya feel bad for him," Daryl said. "He thinks he deserves ya. Like he beat the winter or some shit and now he's here to protect your ass." Beth opened her mouth to speak, but Daryl barreled on. "Ya don't need no man, ya hear me, baby doll? You save yourself."

He moved away, and Beth grabbed his hand and pulled him to a stop. "And that's why I love you," she whispered.

A throat cleared behind them and they both turned to face her daddy. She didn't drop Daryl's hand and he didn't let go either.

"Ya sure ya don't mind us takin' over your home?" He asked easily.

"Definitely not, Daddy," Beth said with a smile. "I'm so happy you're here."

"I'm glad you're okay, doodlebug." He looked at Daryl. "I'm thankful for ya takin' care of my little girl."

"Don't know why y'all are all thankin' me," Daryl muttered, gripping his crossbow strap so tight his knuckles were white. "She can handle herself."

Hershel nodded. "If ya don't mind, I'd like for us to talk a little more after we get all rested."

Daryl nodded and Hershel motioned for Beth to follow him over to where Maggie was at. She shot Daryl a quick smile and went that way.

He seemed so out of place and uncomfortable, but it wouldn't be too long before they got things in an order and everything came back together.

* * *

"I guess we should start a fire or something?" Glenn asked as he stepped up beside Daryl.

He nodded and went to open the tower door to pull out some wood. It was hard to believe that just a little while ago this tower was his and Beth's and the only noise had been them lost in each other.

It wasn't a secret that he didn't really like people, and he had been hoping that he and Beth would get to spend some more quality time alone together, but he was going to have to suck it up and move on.

They had more mouths to feed and a heavily pregnant woman that was going to pop out a kid before too long.

"We'll sleep here in the middle," Daryl muttered and dropped a few logs. "I'll make us a ring."

"I can do that," Jimmy said and kneeled down next to Daryl. "Don't wanna owe ya anythin'."

Daryl smirked. "Knock yourself out, Jim." He meant it literally, too. Daryl wanted nothing more than to take this piece of shit's head and slam into a fucking log. It wasn't because he was Beth's ex or anything like that—well, maybe a little. Mostly it was the way he touched her and automatically thought she was his.

He didn't like that—women being possessions. He didn't like to see women cry or be at a man's mercy just because they were weaker. Maybe it had to do with his momma, and maybe a little bit with Locust Grove, but he couldn't stand the thought of Beth being put into that box because usually once a woman was there, it was hard to get back out.

Daryl stood up and walked toward the others near the base of the tower. Beth was telling them a little about the setup, and Daryl slipped inside first. He straightened up the bottom a little then climbed the ladder to move everything around.

He picked up clothes that were lying on the floor and put them in their pack. He pushed Beth's blankets nearer to the fire and folded up one of his own. He was about to gather some more from the duffle bags when Beth popped up through the hatch and whispered, "Is it clear?"

He laughed quietly. "Nothin' incriminatin'."

She nodded and led the women up. "It's small, but it'll be a good place to rest for the night."

Daryl looked over the women. There was enough room in there for all of them plus the kid and Beth's dad. He should probably be up off the cold ground, but Daryl wasn't too sure how he'd take that suggestion.

"Carl won't come up," he heard the pregnant woman whisper to the one with grey hair. Lori and Carol. He tried to lock those names in his head since they were going to be around each other for a while.

"You have to make him, Lori," Carol whispered. "You can't let him walk all over y'all."

Daryl scooted past them and down the hatch, moving back into the cold outside air. Sure enough, Jimmy had the fire going, and the men were laying out their blankets and opening up cans of food.

Rick was over to the side with his hand on his holster as his kid huffed in front of him. It didn't take a genius to realize that something was going on between Rick and Lori, and it was obviously filtering over to their kid, so Daryl took the opportunity to play the bad guy.

He entered that little portion of his brain that was nearly the same as his brother's entire personality and grabbed the kid's shit.

"What the hell are you doin'? You're up in the tower, haas." Daryl tossed his blankets to him.

"I'm stayin' down here," Carl said and dropped his things back to the ground.

"No, you're not," Daryl said plainly. "This ain't up for negotiation. You stay up in the tower. We get a shit load of walkers from the woods? I don't want to see 'em rip a kid apart."

"I can kill walkers. I've been doin' it all winter."

"Ya don't gotta do it no more," Daryl said and pointed off. "Your mom and dad ain't gonna tell your ass 'no', but I will."

Rick started to say something but stopped as Carl said, "You can't tell me what to do."

"I just did. It's my way or the highway, kid, and until your balls drop, you ain't in the field of play."

"This is bullshit," he muttered and started picking up his things.

"Watch your mouth, Carl," Rick said in a low voice.

The boy shot him a glare then took off for the tower door.

"That ain't your place," Rick said and pointed toward Daryl.

"Nah, it ain't," Daryl agreed. "I guess that means ya need to get your shit together now that you're off the road."

"Who the hell do ya think ya are?" He cocked his head to the side and took a step toward Daryl.

Daryl shrugged. "I'm nobody, man. I got people to look out for, though. Your boy seems like a good kid. Capable. And who the hell knows, maybe tomorrow you'll have him on the fence killin' walkers that wander up, but for tonight, he's gonna be a kid. He's gonna sleep up there and not have to worry about gettin' attacked. We'll sit down here, awake all night, makin' sure that happens. It's how it works."

"Shifts work, too, Daryl Dixon," Beth's voice drifted over to him.

He nodded. "Not tonight, though."

"Of course not," she answered and walked toward him. "How would ya prove what big tough men ya are if ya didn't hold down the fort while us women folk slept?"

He snorted. "Ya know it ain't like that."

"Then tell me what you mean," she said and her hand encircled his wrist.

They both glanced at Rick who took that as a sign that he should probably go somewhere else. When they were alone, Daryl whispered, "I'm tryin' to prove that I can take care of y'all."

"You don't have to prove anythin' to anyone. I know. You know."

He sighed as the tower door opened, and the other women came out along with Carl to sit around the fire and eat the cans of the food that had been warmed up.

"It's gonna take some time to get used to other people bein' around," Beth said quietly. "We'll get C cleared out quick, though. I don't like sharin' our tower."

"Me neither."

He let her drag him back toward the fire and they ate with everyone else while Rick walked the perimeter of the prison over and over.

Beth sat in between her dad and sister, and Daryl sat with his back to hers.

"Sing somethin' for us, Bethy?" Her daddy asked quietly once dinner was over and they were just sitting in the silence.

"Oh gosh," she said with a laugh. "No one wants to hear me sing."

Everyone started encouraging her, and Hershel said, "Sing _The Partin' Glass._ I'd like to hear that one."

Her voice seemed to float through the open air, captivating everyone, and leaving him with a haunting ache in his chest.

 _Oh, all the comrades that e'er I've had_

 _Are sorry for my going away_

 _And all the sweethearts that e'er I've had_

 _Would wish me one more day to stay_

 _But since it falls unto my lot_

 _That I should rise and you should not_

 _I'll gently rise and I'll softly call_

 _Goodnight and joy be with you all_

He made himself stop listening to her words and enjoy the cadence of her voice as she sang another song after that one. A few minutes later, she leaned her head back against his shoulder, and the ache eased a little.

This was just the beginning. No one was going anywhere.


	16. Chapter 16

Ch. 16

Thank you so much for all your reviews! Things are going to get pretty intense.

* * *

After dinner, Beth led the women plus Carl upstairs to sleep while the men stayed down by the fire. It was completely uncomfortable, but Daryl always knew how to blend into the background around groups, so that's what he tried to do.

Rick talked to Hershel about planting crops. T-Dog and Glenn sipped on a jar of moonshine and laughed at some joke the other had told. Jimmy stared daggers at him, but he pretended not to notice.

"Daryl?" Rick's voice got him to turn his head and nod. "Ya got any family?"

He shook his head. "Nah. Folks are dead."

"Where ya from?" Hershel asked this time.

"All over." Daryl shrugged. "Grew up near Griffin, but moved around a lot after my momma died."

They seemed to be examining him, and he didn't like that one bit.

"Where ya been since all this went down?" Jimmy asked, butting into the interrogation.

"With my brother mostly. Stayed in a community for awhile then found Beth. That's about it."

"Thought ya said your family was dead," Jimmy said with a tilt of his head. His eyes shined with catching Daryl in a lie, but it hadn't been a lie.

Daryl shook his head. "Said my folks were dead. Didn't say nothin' about my brother." He paused and shrugged. "He left me. Don't know where he is or if he's still alive, so nah, I don't got any family anymore."

They all settled into a strained silence. "You and Beth seem close," her dad said easily.

He nodded, staring back into the fire.

"You're teachin' her a lot."

"Ain't always gonna be around," Daryl said and looked up for under his shaggy hair. "Walkers ain't the worst thing that can get to a girl like Beth. I taught her some stuff on survivin' but not a damn thing about killin' a man."

"You killed someone?" Rick asked easily.

"Not yet," he said quietly.

"Is that a threat?" Jimmy said in a disbelieving tone.

Daryl snorted. "I ain't gonna kill ya, Jimbo. Haven't given ya much thought at all. I've thought about this prison, though. When y'all were shootin' earlier, I didn't even think it could be y'all. This is a good place. Eventually, someone'll want it."

"What do ya suggest?" Rick asked, picking up a stick and drawing in the dirt.

He lost his voice for several seconds and thought back to Locust Grove, and the security measures in place there. Daryl got the feeling he was being tested as he answered, "We need to claim the inside of prison. Set up watches in the guard towers and patrols along the fence and into the woods a little ways."

"We don't have that many people," he responded.

"I don't know what ya want from me, man," Daryl said, straightening his shoulders. "I don't know shit about fortifyin' this place. Me and Beth are makin' it but only barely. We got enough food for the two of us to last the week. With y'all here, it'll be gone by tomorrow night. The inside of that place is our only immediate source of food. I don't know how we do it, or when we do it, but we've got to take C."

Rick nodded. "I walked all around the place. The fence is strong. It'll stand as long as we keep it clean of walkers."

"And if we keep the fence strong," Hershel added, "we can make this place a home. We can plant our own food, provide for ourselves. We'll only have to take runs every once in a while instead of daily."

"There were over fifty biters in the tombs," Daryl said. "I killed the ones in C, but then I went deeper, followin' the signs to the cafeteria. I almost made, but there were a lot of those bastards down there. There were more than what came out, too. They just got sidetracked or some shit. It wouldn't be an easy mission." He looked around the fire at each of the men there. "People could die."

Glenn cleared his throat. "People die all the time now. It doesn't change the fact that there's food inside, and we need it. There are beds inside and strong doors."

"It's worth the chance," Rick said.

"Yes, it is." Hershel spoke in a gravely voice. "My girls will want to help no doubt."

"Someone's gotta watch the pregnant woman," Daryl said. "Might as well be one of 'em."

"Carol's a good shot." Glenn said. "Maggie won't want to stay back. She'd rather go in than you, Hershel."

The old man made a snorting noise and shook his head. "Somone's gotta watch the front and keep the gates secure."

Jimmy piped up again, "Let Carl do it. He's pissed right now. Let him help Carol with the fence security."

Several seconds of silence followed before Rick finally asked, "The halls are pretty narrow down there, right?"

Daryl hummed. "'Bout two people wide. Bodies all over the place, too, so ya gotta watch where ya step."

"The less people, the better then?" Rick raised his eyes from the dirt to Daryl.

He let himself think back to the tombs that he had been in the day before. They were dark and smelled like shit. Completely overpowering and making him gag. If they took in Rick, Glenn, T-Dog, Jimmy, Hershel, Maggie, Beth, and him, there would be no way all of them would get out.

"Prolly four at most," he answered. "Gotta be quick, too." Daryl fixed his eyes on Rick and didn't look to Hershel at all.

"Four it is then." Rick agreed and stood up. "Me, you, Glenn and Jimmy. T-Dog keeps a watch at the door for us, and Hershel, you tell everyone else what to do down here."

They all nodded, and Rick walked away toward the fence again.

"He always like this?" Daryl asked quietly.

"Like what?" T-Dog asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"He keeps goin' back and forth on me. Like I'm callin' the shots then all of a sudden, it's him that's in charge. I don't wanna be in charge," Daryl admitted. "I'll do what I can, but I ain't a leader."

Hershel caught his stare. "Ya ain't a follower either."

Jimmy shifted around to stare straight at Daryl. "What are ya then?"

Daryl stood up and grabbed his bow. "I'm just tryin' my best," he answered and walked the opposite way Rick did.

He missed the night before. He missed the buzz of alcohol through his system and the beautiful girl that he called his. Now there were too many people and expectations. Her daddy didn't seem to mind him. Neither did anyone else. Jimmy was just pissed on principal, but the guy was a fucking boy scout. He'd send little remarks here and there, try and cut Daryl down or make Beth feel bad, but he'd move on.

They weren't going to kick Daryl out.

He was staying, and he was sitting among a group of people that had far too many Indians and not a single willing Chief anymore.

Daryl sure as hell wasn't applying for that position.

* * *

"So, the guy?" Maggie whispered, as they lay face-to-face in the tower.

Beth bit her lip and shrug as best she could. She could still feel the heat on her cheeks, though. "What about Daryl?"

"You had sex with him," she said in a happy whisper.

"Maybe," she said and faked a yawn. "I'm so tired now."

"Oh, cut the shit, Beth." Maggie pushed her shoulder gently. "How was it? Better than…" she nodded her head toward the hatch, and Beth knew immediately what she meant.

She had missed her sister terribly, and now that she was here, she didn't really want to get into the gritty details like she had before. Their night had been so special to her. She could still get the answers to some questions she had, though.

"It was really, really good," she admitted.

Maggie squealed quietly. "Is he big?"

"I'm not tellin' ya that," Beth laughed.

"He is." Maggie nodded. "I know it. He's got that rough look about him. I bet he can throw ya around."

"Good Lord, Margaret Ann," Beth whispered and blushed bright red. "Ya picked the wrong man if that's what ya wanted. You're as big as Glenn."

"I didn't say I wanted that," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You look like you do, though. He sucked your neck good. You're lucky daddy doesn't carry a shotgun anymore."

Beth's hand immediately went to her throat. "You should be nicer to me. We've been apart for months."

Maggie swallowed hard. "I know, and I missed ya every minute."

"I missed ya, too," Beth said and reached out to hug her sister.

They embraced for good while before Beth pulled back. "Can I ask ya somethin'?"

"If he says that anal doesn't hurt, he's lyin'."

Beth's eyes widened, and she could picture her face because Maggie's laugh was loud enough to get Carl to sit up and shhh them from across the tower.

"You're not allowed to talk again until I say so," Beth said and gave Maggie her best stern look.

Maggie smiled and made an 'x' over her heart. "I promise."

"I've known Daryl a few weeks, but I love him," she said and looked down at the blanket. "I don't think I felt like this with Jimmy, and that makes me feel guilty. Especially now that he's here, and he thinks that we were still together."

Maggie took Beth's hand and squeezed it. "We all have our own ways of keepin' goin'," she said. "Jimmy's was findin' you. I think he thought it was his fault that ya were missin' 'cause he took the RV to the barn and didn't stick by ya."

"It wasn't his fault. He had no way of knowin' what would happen."

"Like I said, we all have our ways of copin' and puttin' one foot in front of the other. Jimmy's not the same guy he was back at the farm, and you're not the same girl. You've both grown up a lot, and that took ya on different paths."

"He doesn't see it that way."

"Neither one of ya see how much ya've changed," she said. "I knew it the minute you stepped out with that bow in your hands, but I couldn't even form words to speak. You're not a little girl that needs protectin', but he'll want to anyway, just like Daryl wants to. He's just ahead of the game. He knows what you're capable of, and he won't hold you back. Jimmy'll figure it out, but that doesn't mean ya have to be with him again or feel bad that you're not. Ya should never stay with someone when ya don't love 'em."

"I do love him," she said as a tear leaked from the corner of her eye. "I just know that I've never loved him like that."

Maggie cleared her throat, and Beth looked up. "Hey, little sister?"

"Yeah?"

"Things are too horrible to let this get ya down. Jimmy'll move on again. Find another thing worth movin' forward for. You'll have Daryl, and he'll have you."

"Ya ain't gonna tell me that I'm too young to be in love?" Beth sniffled a little.

"Of course not, Bethy," she said with a grin. "Ya know you're heart better than I do. If ya say this is real, then I believe ya, and I'll never try and change your mind. Life is way too short to be unhappy, more so now than before, and I want my sister to be happy."

Beth hugged her sister one last time, letting her warmth and familiar scent wash over her. Everything was perfect, and once they cleared out C it would be even better.

* * *

Beth nodded and held onto her bow as Rick divvied out instructions. Daryl watched her closely, but she didn't even flinch when he said that only four people were going inside, and one of those four wasn't her.

She cut her eyes at him when Rick said his name, though.

"We'll move out in five minutes."

Beth immediately walked to his side and held his hand. He smiled slightly as she twined her fingers with his. "You'll be careful, right?"

"Nah," he said quietly. "Gonna go out in a blaze of arrows."

"Don't joke," she said. "Rick said it was small down there. You tell him that?"

"Ummhmm," he answered.

She took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh. "I love ya, and I'll see ya when ya get back." Then she stood on her toes and brushed her lips over his.

"Be back before ya know it, girl. Don't go worryin' over me. Check those snares. It was a quiet night."

"I guess you'd know, huh?"

He snorted. "Ground sucks."

"I bet."

He let go of her hand and started walking to the gate where Rick was waiting. Daryl didn't look at anyone else. Instead, he got his mind in gear. He thought of the food, supplies, the long hallways full of eaten up bodies and walkers that lay between them and survival.

With a bolt at the ready in his bow, he took the lead and walked fast toward C Block. When he got to the door, he said, "Get ready."

He threw the door opened and backed away, but there was nothing behind the door. They moved into the cellblock, but found it empty of living walkers. Only the ones that Daryl had killed before remained.

"This way," he said quietly and started toward another barred door, taking out his flashlight and turning it on. "Watch your step." Then he was moving down the hallway toward the cafeteria.

The other flashlight beams shifted around him, shining on the floor, revealing the decaying bodies that stunk up the entire building. He was about to turn a corner when a flash of light illuminated walker hands reaching. Daryl barely had enough time to pull his leg away and fire a bolt into its skull.

"Fuck me," he mumbled. "That bastard wasn't there before."

"Must've been one that got trampled by the others ya led out," Rick said.

"I need to learn to keep my light pointin' straight ahead," Jimmy muttered.

Before anyone could respond, a muted thump reached Daryl's ears, and Glenn said, "Stop bein' an asshole."

That seemed to shut him up, and Daryl kept walking, turning corner after corner. It was like a maze down there. He figured it they had light and there weren't any walkers, it wouldn't feel like it took forever to reach the door.

What bothered him most was that between C and the cafeteria, there had only been that one walker.

 _Where had they all gone?_

"Daryl," Glenn whispered as they looked at the locked door.

"Yeah?"

"Do you hear that?"

Daryl turned his head and listened intently. There was a muted scratching noise coming from down the hall to their left. It was faint, but could definitely be heard.

"Stay here," Daryl whispered and started slowly down the hall. Rick followed after him. "Shine your light at your feet," Daryl instructed and did the same to him. Last thing they needed were some walkers reaching from the ground at them.

They made it halfway down the hall to see a bars cutting it in half with a shut door. On the other side were the walkers he had been wondering about and two bodies on the floor being chewed over, or what was left of them.

Daryl motioned for Rick to back way, and they left as quietly as they had come.

"Who were they?" Daryl whispered and looked around once they were far enough from the bars.

"Prisoners," Rick answered.

"They were eatin' fresh people," Daryl said. "Someone else is here, and they ain't walkers."

At that moment, Jimmy and Glenn came back into view, but they weren't alone. Three men stood beside them, all in orange jumpsuits.

"So, who the fuck's gonna tell us what's goin' on?" The tall Mexican guy asked, pointing his machete in the direction of the dead. The other two men beside him were staring straight ahead—one an older white man with a handlebar mustache and the other a tall, broad-shouldered black guy.

"It's the end of the world," Daryl said and finished the walk to the cafeteria door. "How long you boys been holed up in here?"

"Since it started," Mustache answered.

"Shut the fuck up, Axel," the Mexican guy snapped.

"Well," Daryl said and pointed to Glenn. "Fill 'em in while we load up some food."

"That's ours," the guy spoke again.

"Well, by all accounts, it belongs to the state of Georgia, but since there ain't really a state no more, I guess it belongs to whoever takes it," Rick cut in.

Daryl knew they were treading a thin line. He knew men like this guy from before. He imagined he was in here for drugs or maybe an assault charge. He had tattoos that Daryl couldn't make out too well, so maybe he had been in a gang.

That world was done now, though. This man had no power anywhere, and all he had was a machete.

"Listen," Glenn tried to cut in. He had turned to the side and was looking at the inmates. "We're all freaking out a little right now, but let's talk. You really should know what's going on out there. What you saw yesterday is just the tip of the iceberg."

"I wanna know what he's got to say, Tomas," the black guy said before turning toward Glenn. "I gotta little girl and wife. They safe out there?"

Glenn swallowed hard and everyone seemed to wait on his answer, even Tomas.

"Probably not," Glenn answered truthfully. "We lost power almost immediately after the cities fell. There are no phones, no grocery stores, or safe zones," he said quietly. "At the beginning, there were some, but it didn't take long for them to get overrun or the military to abandon ship to find their own families. If they're still alive, then I doubt they're where they used to be. You gotta keep moving now, or you'll die."

The man crumbled against the entrance to the cafeteria and Axel leaned down. "C'mon, Oscar. Ya gotta get up, man. Those things can't hear ya or they'll start gettin' loud again."

Daryl watched Tomas as he eyed the group. "There's nothin' left out there?"

"There are things left," Rick said. "Places to go."

Tomas just shook his head. "I think that's a bunch of bullshit. I ain't never heard of men breakin' into a prison before."

"Fences," Jimmy answered. "That's the only plus here."

Daryl wanted to slap him fucking silly for saying anything good about the prison, but instead, trained his bow on Tomas. "Don't matter none. They ain't your fences no more," he said as calmly as he could.

"They're whatever I say they are. I was here first."

The tension in the hallway was heavy, and Glenn stood in the middle of both groups, open to attack.

"That's not really somethin' to be proud of," Rick said with a tiny hint of a sneer curling his lips. It made Daryl lean away at first. "If ya want, ya can stay here. Just in D block. We've cleared C for ourselves. We'll split the food accordingly. I don't want to see y'all in C, and ya don't want us in D, right?"

Tomas smirked, and Daryl heart started racing. He knew, without a doubt, that this guy was trouble, and the only way to stop trouble like him, was to take him out altogether. His finger trembled slightly on the trigger of his bow, and he his breath was catching.

"Sure, man," he answered Rick. "Whatever you say."

There was something in his voice, though. Something that made Daryl keep his bow lifted even though everyone else had their weapons lowered. Maybe it was the grinding of the words that made him think of Merle and the way he used to agree before taking vengeance or maybe it had been the blankness in his eyes that reminded him of his old man as he beat the living hell out of him. Daryl didn't know. He only knew that it wasn't right. The words weren't true, and even if Tomas had to go down along with whoever he hit, someone was about to die.

In the split second that all that flashed through Daryl's mind, Glenn started to walk towards him with a relieved smile on his face. He was a good man. Naïve but truly one of the good ones.

Daryl wasn't surprised when Tomas swung the machete toward Glenn's back. Rick hollered, "Get down!", and drew his Colt, but the bolt was already through Tomas' eye as Glenn stumbled toward them and hit the ground, the machete clanging to the floor beside him never coming close to its mark.

Rick and Jimmy rushed forward, but Daryl stayed stock still staring at the body in front of him.

With deliberate steps, he walked forward and retrieved the arrow then turned and went inside the cafeteria.

Later. He'd deal with this later.


	17. Chapter 17

Ch. 17

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

As soon as the guys came out of C block, Beth felt her body relax. She had been so tense since they'd disappeared inside and nothing anyone said could ease her worries. Daryl's shoulders were slumped a little and his head was down. She knew almost immediately that something had happened, but all four men were there, walking toward her. Beth opened the second gate to the main prison yard and walked as fast as she could toward him.

"Hey," she said when she reached him.

Daryl reached over and grabbed her hand, stroking his thumb across the top of it. "C'mon," he said and pulled her toward C block.

Once they were inside, he walked as far away from the door as he could it and into one of the open cells. Beth could feel his hand shaking in hers. She had never seen him so out of sorts, but to anyone else, he would just look like Daryl. He could cover it up so well.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly, trying to bend down to catch his eyes.

The words that came next stalled her heart and made her stand up straight.

"I killed someone. There was an inmate downstairs. He tried to take a swipe at Glenn with a machete."

"Oh my God." Beth covered her mouth with her hands.

"I didn't even hesitate. The bolt was loose before they had even noticed."

Her mind was racing with questions about how prisoners could have stayed alive, especially in a place so full of walkers, but she focused on Daryl and whatever war was raging in his head.

"You did the right thing," she told him quietly. "You saved Glenn."

"I know," he whispered then finally held her stare. "I killed someone that wasn't a walker."

Beth was silent as she watched him lean against the bars then she said, "You didn't have a choice, Daryl. You did what you had to do to make sure y'all were safe."

"That's the thing. I know all that. I don't regret it, Beth." He looked up and met her stare. "I'd do it again to keep any of y'all safe. It's just—a lot for me. Right now."

She shuffled toward him and wrapped her arms around his waist and squeezed tight. "It's gonna be okay," she whispered. "I promise."

Daryl nodded and leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "The other two guys seem all right. They sorta remind me of my brother when he wasn't a complete asshole."

"There are others?" Her voice was strained and Daryl ran a hand up and down her back, comforting _her_ now.

"Two."

"We need all the good people we can get." Beth forced the words out evenly.

"Didn't say 'good'. I said 'all right.' Don't trust 'em. I don't think we should trust anyone anymore."

"What about our family?"

He stared at her for several loaded seconds before he said, "This world changes people. I think that even family can get dangerous sometimes."

Beth felt a heavy weight settle in her stomach. She knew he was right, but at the same time, could she keep that kind of objective distance?

All of a sudden, she felt completely wiped out and longed for the quiet of the tower and a cozy nap.

* * *

Everyone was filled in about the situation in the tombs after Daryl and Beth left the cell. Beth wondered if it was Rick's way of letting Daryl have some privacy before airing it out to the group. Things like that could change the way people viewed you, and Daryl was already the outsider. She knew that this was another reason to eye him a little more carefully. It didn't matter if they'd done stuff over the winter or if they'd have done the same thing he did, Daryl had pulled the trigger, and that took something most of the didn't have yet.

Beth wondered about the other two inmates who were supposed to stay in D Block. They got rations and security, but they were alone. Her daddy and Daryl had gone inside and explained things a bit more in depth with them. Daryl had told her that Glenn told them a bunch, but one man, Oscar, had all sorts of questions.

"They're scared," Hershel told the group after he and Daryl got back awhile later. "It's almost like how you woke up from your coma, Rick. They've come out in the middle of somethin' they don't understand. It wouldn't be right to leave them with no knowledge of the world now."

"What if a time comes when they use that against us?" Rick asked in a steely voice.

"What're they gonna do, Rick? If they draw walkers here, they're as good as dead, too."

"Not walkers. People." Rick ran a hand along his jaw and sighed. "What if they find people?"

Daryl snorted from beside Beth, causing everyone to look his way. "They ain't leavin' these fences. They're scared shitless, and after Hershel explained the food situation, they got real quiet. They don't wanna be put out on their own in this. Neither one of them is prepared for that."

"Do you think they won't try anythin'? Retaliation for Tomas?" Rick asked. He'd gotten a far away look in his eye and Beth had come to realize in the short time they had been back together that it meant he had gone someplace very dark.

Daryl shrugged. "Axel and Oscar are degenerates, but they ain't psychos like he was. They won't be a problem."

"Hershel?" Rick cut his eyes at him and Beth felt Daryl tense up beside her.

Her daddy looked to Daryl then back to the floor before nodding slowly. "I agree with Daryl."

Rick sighed, and for the first time that day, she wondered how Daryl got the job of going with her dad and not Glenn or Jimmy. If it was only because of Tomas and that he knew Daryl would pull the trigger without thinking about it.

"What can we do?" Glenn asked. "It's not like we can kill them because they might become a threat. This isn't Minority Report," Glenn said as he shook his head.

"If Hershel and Daryl think they're okay, then we'll let 'em live for now," said Rick.

Beth felt a tug on her sleeve and looked at Daryl. He nodded his head up the stairs to the second floor of cells and a ledge that used to be a police officers post.

They left and everyone else drifted apart, too. People were picking cells and laying down on beds for the first time in months.

She couldn't wait to lay on a mattress again.

"Are you okay?" She asked once they were away from the others.

Daryl was chewing on his bottom lip and looking down at his boots. "I'm okay. I ain't really torn up about it, and maybe that makes me a loon."

Beth took his hand. "It doesn't." She took a deep breath and decided to change the subject. "I can hear the wind but can't feel it here."

"I know," he said and squeezed her fingers. "Ya won't be cold tonight."

"And neither will you," she said and bent down to catch his eye.

"I's never worried about me, girl."

Beth nodded. "I know. Someone needs to worry over you, though. That's where I come in."

Daryl's cheeks turned a little pink and his smile seemed shyer. It was so hard to believe that things had changed so much over the course of two days.

"Which cell looks good to ya?"

Daryl shrugged. "Whichever one you're in."

Beth led him away from the top of the stairs into a cell near cell closest to the end of the row. "I like bein' up high. I feel safer that way."

"I don't like bein' in a cell, but it's better than the tower for now," Daryl said and stepped inside. "That's a tiny ass cot."

Beth nodded at the bottom bunk. "We can put the mattresses on the floor?"

"Nah," Daryl said looked around. "Let's go get our stuff."

Beth stopped him before he could leave the cell. "I don't know if my daddy is gonna be happy about us sharin' a cell."

Daryl smirked. "He ain't stupid. He knows that we ain't splittin' up."

Beth narrowed her eyes. "What did he say to you when y'all were in D?"

There was a pause where his eyes clouded a bit then he said, "He's a good dad. He said what any good dad would say, but mostly he just watched me like I was some weirdo."

Beth's eyes widened as she whispered. "Why? Did he threaten you?"

"He didn't have to," Daryl said. "I ain't as stupid as I look, ya know? I know a good thing when I got it."

Beth shook her head. "Why would he look at ya weird?"

"Maybe I act differently than the people he's been around lately. Me and Hershel understand each other, though."

She made a noise and said, "Fine. Be all secretive."

"Ain't a secret. Just don't wanna talk about it."

"Okay," she said and hugged him. "I'm not gonna push."

"It was nothin' bad."

"I believe you." Beth wanted to question him further, but she figured it would be best to get their things and settle in for the day. They still had a lot of work to do around the prison, and he wasn't going to let everyone else pull more weight than him, so she knew Daryl would be jumping right in soon.

He might know Hershel Greene liked him, but he would break his back insuring that he knew just how hard he would work for them.

"Let's go get our things," Beth said and pulled him out the cell door.

"Sounds like a plan," he muttered as he trailed after her.

* * *

It took them a few trips to get everything from the tower into the prison. The walks weren't easy either. Uphill and upstairs.

By the time they were done, he was ready to sleep for a little bit then go hunting. Beth pushed him toward the bunk, and he sunk down into the thin mattress.

"This is best thing I've slept on in months."

Beth started to lay down beside him on the edge, but he tossed her over him so that she ended up with her back to the wall.

"I was gonna go down and talk to my dad. See if I could help with anythin'."

"Just rest for a little while, girl. Promise, we'll be runnin' all over soon."

He felt her lose the tension on her muscles and she nuzzled her face into his chest. It probably wasn't best to sleep like this while everyone was straightening stuff up, but Daryl wanted it to be them for a little while longer. He found a comfort in holding her that seemed to take away everything that had happened over the course of the day.

"Only for a little while, okay?"

"Yeah. Just a little while."

Beth yawned and fell asleep quick. For a while, he laid there with his eyes closed, letting her warmth seep into his body, refueling him a little bit. She was alive. He was okay. Things were going to get better.

* * *

It was nearly dark when Beth woke up alone.

She should have known he would leave her there while he did the work. Beth sighed and sat up. She had to admit that she felt a hundred times better than she had before.

Right as she was standing up, Daryl came back through the door. He had two bowls of steaming soup, and Beth reached out immediately.

"Carol's a hell of a cook. I had a bowl when I was down there, so this is my second. You can have more, too, when ya finish this."

"It smells so good. What's in it?"

"Canned vegetables, chicken broth."

Beth took a sip directly from the bowl and hummed. "This is heaven."

"Want some of the moonshine to wash it down?" He smirked.

"Just water this time," she said with a laugh.

He sat his bowl down on their desk and took a refilled water bottle from his back pocket.

"How long have ya been up?" She asked then took another pull of her soup.

"Twenty minutes or so? I crashed hard."

Beth took a better look at him and saw that he really did look more rested.

"I was gonna go out and check the snares, but it's already too late and they had food ready."

"Is everythin' okay with the others?"

Daryl nodded. "Seems like it. They got the doors sealed up and everyone is sittin' around the fire downstairs. There's a little place to eat with tables and chairs, but I think they like bein' behind the bars right now."

"Prolly so. They're not used to bein' so safe."

"They want someone to keep watch tonight," Daryl said. "I said I'd do it."

"Ya mean _we_?" She said and raised an eyebrow.

"If ya want or ya could get some more rest."

Beth shook her head. "Me and you can do it. Let 'em rest. They need it more than us. We've had good, safe sleep for weeks. Plus, we just napped."

Daryl nodded and started eating his soup. When they were done, they walked down the stairs toward her family and the other group members. They had a fire lit on the cement floor and had gathered some chairs to sit on.

"Bethy," her dad said and drew her in for a hug. "Sleep good?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "Daryl and I'll take watch so y'all can have some now." She turned to Carol. "This was delicious. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Carol said with a small smile. "There's some more left if ya want another bowl."

"Absolutely. I wanted a pot to make soup with, but we never had the chance to go out on another run with all the walkers and storms."

"Those storms were terrible this year," Maggie said and shivered. "I don't think I ever appreciated central heat until a couple of weeks ago."

"I know what ya mean," Beth said. "Before Daryl found the firewood it got pretty bad here, too."

Maggie nodded, but Beth had a feeling they had things a whole lots worse than her or Daryl ever had. She refilled her soup bowl and took a big drink of it. It burned her throat, but the warmth was so welcome in her stomach.

"We'll be up in the tower and walkin' around D through the night," Daryl said and nudged Beth toward the side door in C block. She took two last big gulps and sat the bowl down on the floor beside her dad.

"Night," Beth said with a small wave before she opened the door and stepped out into the icy air. -

"I changed my mind," he muttered as he wrapped his jacket tighter around him. "Let's go back to bed."

"Too late now, Mr. I'll Take Care of Everything." He cut his eyes at her. "Do ya think it's strange that you're sorta in the inner circle?"

"Don't know," Daryl said quietly.

She could hear the hesitance in his voice and chose to voice a thought that she'd been batting away since that morning. "Do ya think Rick's tryin' to see if you'll mess up?"

He stopped but didn't look at her. "I don't know. Maybe." Then after a second, he added, "It's what I'd do."

* * *

Hershel's body ached from sleeping on the hard ground over the last few months, and he was ready to lay down on that thin mattress and close his cell door for the night. He worried about his girls, but they both were capable and had younger, stronger men to look after them if things got tough.

It wasn't that he wouldn't jump into a fight to save one of them. It was that he knew there would be a line for that position now. Glenn had proven it repeatedly since the farm fell, and Daryl was fierce in a quiet way. He wouldn't have to listen to him and Beth talk about marriage and children. He wouldn't have to pretend to close his ears to other things that a father shouldn't know about it either.

That already earned Daryl Dixon high praise in his book.

There was something else there, too.

Hershel had watched him closely since the night before, and he realized that Daryl wasn't nearly as aloof as he appeared to be. While he never looked at anyone really, preferring to stare off in the distance or at his feet, Hershel noticed his eyes cutting around to everyone in the group.

He would bet money that Daryl knew exactly where everyone was at any time during the day.

Then there was the way he looked at Beth. The night before, he hadn't sat right beside or wrapped an arm around her to show that she was with him. He had sat behind her, watching her back, and listened. He respected her and taught her how to carry herself and save herself. Daryl wasn't a showman. He wasn't going to bow his chest out and get in a pissing contest—at least not in front of everyone.

Something was brewing between him and Jimmy, though, but that would work itself out on its own. Those kinds of things always did.

Then there was Tomas. He knew that Daryl had talked about it with Beth, but he wasn't the type to lay it out for everyone. Hell, Rick had to explain what he did, and Hershel could tell that Daryl wanted to downplay it the entire time he was telling the story.

Then afterward, Daryl had stood at his right side, his bow in his hands as Hershel talked to the other two men. Hershel never felt in danger. Daryl was analytical and calm, but he was young and probably quick tempered if the right button was pushed.

What surprised him the most was when Axel, with tears in his eyes, explained that they knew the dead men in those cells. They had to clear out their friends. Daryl didn't even stop to think about it. He swung his bow of his shoulder and nodded his head to the first cell.

"I'm sorry, man. I'll help ya clear 'em out."

In truth, that was what had took so long in D. It wasn't answering questions that they already knew the answers to or repeating the utter hopelessness of the world. It was Daryl helping Axel and Oscar clear out cells while Hershel helped open up doors and clean up the rooms a behind them.

Hershel watched as the door to the C block closed with a reverberating click behind Daryl and his daughter. If he wanted it, he had the ability to be a leader, and that was something that Rick saw, too.

Hershel glanced at Rick who was sitting awkwardly beside his wife. That may just be what Rick was wanting anyway, and Daryl might not have much of a choice in the matter.

There wasn't a doubt in his mind that whatever happened, they had a much better chance at surviving with Daryl Dixon on their side.


	18. Chapter 18

Ch. 18

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I hope you like this one.

* * *

The following morning, Daryl and Beth went outside the fences and into the woods to check the snares. He kept a close eye on her, but she just kept her bow at her side and scanned the ground in front of them.

"How ya doin'?" He asked softly.

"I'm good," she said with a smile. "Shocked still, but good. I was surprised that Rick came and relieved us last night."

Daryl nodded. He hadn't thought anyone would come out, and he was prepared to let Beth sleep a little bit then wake her up and take a rest himself. The moon was high in the sky when Rick knocked on the tower hatch.

 _They'd seen him leave C block, but he obviously thought he'd catch them in a compromising situation with how he looked around the tower. It hadn't even been the one him and Beth had lived in, but one further inside the yard at the second gate._

" _I'll take over," he said. "Y'all go back inside and get some sleep. Maybe go huntin' tomorrow."_

 _Daryl popped his knuckles. "That a request or ya givin' me an order?"_

 _Rick shrugged and leaned against the desk that ran along the far wall. "Little bit of both, I guess."_

" _We check snares every mornin'. When we go tomorrow, it's for that reason. Not 'cause you're tryin' to figure out when I'll blink."_

 _Rick snorted. "Just tryin' to get a read on you."_

 _"Don't try," Daryl said and picked up his crossbow._

 _Beth had walked over to the hatch and started to climb down, so Daryl followed. He didn't look back at Rick, and Rick didn't say anything else._

"Maybe next time he won't be such a dick about it." Daryl bent down to fix the empty snare. "I don't understand him."

Beth sighed. "Neither do I. I didn't know him that well from before, but I know he was very concerned for his people. Maybe he's feelin' ya out 'cause you're new?"

"Maybe," Daryl said as he stood back up. "Maybe he's crazy."

"I don't think he's crazy. I think he's tired."

They walked a little further into the woods and found their other snare empty, too.

"He's just goin' in too many directions. Been here two days, and I already know he's usin' leadership as an excuse to stay away from his wife."

Beth nodded. "I thought that, too. No one has said anythin' about it, though, but I haven't really been able to just visit. While y'all were in the tombs, we were all too nervous to do much besides wait."

He grunted. The tombs were a bad place, but at least they had their food now.

He tried to muster up any regret for killing Tomas again, but none came. He would have killed Glenn, and Glenn seemed like a nice guy. He didn't deserve to bleed out on a dirty prison floor. And maybe Tomas didn't deserve to take a bolt through the eyeball, but if he was faced with the decision, he'd do it all again.

"Ya okay?" Beth asked, tugging on his sleeve and pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah. Just thinkin' about things. Rick prolly don't trust me 'cause of killin' that guy."

"He'd have done the same thing."

"But I did it before anyone else could even think about it. No hesitation at all."

Beth moved in front of him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You did the right thing."

His arms encircled her shoulders. "I want the weather to get warm again so we can move back out to the tower," he said quietly. "I liked it just bein' us."

"Me, too." Beth cleared her throat and stepped back. "I'm gonna have to talk to Jimmy soon."

Daryl's heart beat a little faster but he kept a straight face. "Figured as much."

"It's the right thing to do. We need to clear the air so it's not always awkward."

"S'always gonna be awkward, Beth." Daryl turned and started walking again. "If ya wanna clear your conscience, fine, but don't think it's gonna take away that sting he feels."

"You're sayin' that he'll always be a problem?"

"Not a problem. Just the elephant in the room."

"Technically speakin', you're the elephant," she argued as they walked on. "I was with him first."

"I's here first, so I can't be the elephant in my own room."

Beth laughed softly, "I guess that's true."

Daryl found himself smirking. She made him feel better, and even though everyone seemed to know they were together, it worried him a little. The more they got to know him, the more they'd see the things she hadn't.

They'd been alone for a long time. She didn't know how he was around people. That he'd get an attitude or needle someone so much that they finally snapped.

Beth didn't know that while Daryl had the outward appearance of being calm and observant, that he was really looking for weaknesses.

Jimmy's was Beth. For now at least.

Rick's was the idea he couldn't take care of his family.

Hershel's was his girls.

Carl's was being seen as a kid.

He hadn't been around the women, T-Dog, or Glenn enough to really know yet, but he'd figure them out soon.

It wasn't out of maliciousness. He did those things automatically because that was how he survived around his old man and Merle.

Show a weakness. Someone will exploit it, and he lived a good portion of his life being on the manipulated end. The end of the world had finally allowed him the opportunity to be on the other side. His moment of weakness came with helping the men in D, but so far, nobody had said anything about that to the group, and he hoped it stayed that way.

He didn't like picking on folks, but if he could get what he wanted, he would. Right then, he just wanted everyone to settle down and breathe for a minute.

Stomach sticking food would help with that.

"See anythin'," he asked as he scanned the area.

"Nope," she sighed. "I think all the walkers scared 'em off."

"I think you're right," he said then leaned against a tree. "Dammit."

Beth walked toward him and laid her head against his chest after she fell against him. "It'll be okay."

"Need to make a run. Find some stuff for that baby that's comin'."

"Yeah."

Neither one said what that might mean. Runs were tricky with one person going, but Daryl had a feeling a run with Rick's group would be like herding cats.

* * *

They all sat around the dining tables as they worked out a list for what they needed.

It wasn't so much a list as it was a damn book. Everyone needed something or had ideas for stops along the way.

Daryl watched as Rick and several others stood over a map, making plans. He should have gone over and volunteered, but he didn't want to get involved too soon and end up planning it.

At that moment, Hershel caught his eye nodded to join them. He cursed himself for staring too long then walked toward the group.

Rick was pointing at a town about fifteen miles away. It was a medium size place with two grocery stores situated at either end of town.

"What do ya think?" He asked as Daryl looked over the map.

"It's doable," he said quietly. "There's a hospital there, though. Don't know if it was used by military so no way of knowin' if there's a fuck ton of walkers around now."

"You think that all the military's been taken down?" Glenn asked.

Daryl shrugged. "Dunno. The world's over, though, so it don't look good for 'em."

Rick was quiet for several long seconds before he said, "We'll go in two groups of three. Daryl, Glenn, Maggie. Me, Jimmy, and T-Dog."

Daryl shook his head. "Is it really smart to leave the prison undefended like that?"

"Excuse me," Beth muttered. "I'm standin' right here."

"Not you, girl," he said. "Ya got Beth and Carol that can shoot. Carl if things get real bad."

"I know I'm an old man, Daryl, but I'm not helpless just yet," Hershel said with a smirk.

Daryl took a deep breath and wished he could stop the burning feeling as the tips of his ears turned red. "Things can get bad quick."

"We know that," Rick said evenly. "Everyone here knows what this world is like now."

Daryl looked over at Beth then nodded. "Fine."

"We'll leave first thing tomorrow. Everyone spend the day takin' it easy. After this, we'll be workin' our asses off to get this place secure."

* * *

Beth watched as Daryl checked his bolts for the hundredth time as they sat outside on the picnic tables.

"Y'all won't be long at all," she assured him. "We'll be okay here."

"I know," he mumbled.

Beth placed her hand on the back of his neck and played with his hair. "What's got ya all worried then?"

"I like goin' out on my own. Don't have to think about other people. It makes gettin' away easier."

Beth nodded. "It does make things a bit more complicated, but you'll have people watchin' your back now."

"Your sister and Glenn? Hell, girl, I don't know them from Adam."

"Ya saved Glenn's life. I doubt he's gonna forget that," Beth said and took his hand away from his arrows. "Just breath, Daryl."

He took a long, deep breath and closed his eyes. "Let's do some target practice. Can't have ya losin' all I taught ya."

Beth's grin was wide and happy as she hopped up and reached down for her bow. "Pretty soon, I'm not gonna need ya at all."

Daryl snorted. "That day'll come when the walkers hold still instead trippin' toward ya."

"Asshole."

"You love me," he said with a self-assured smirk.

"I do," she said. "Lord knows why." Daryl opened his mouth, but Beth clamped her hand down over it almost immediately. "Don't ya dare say anythin' perverted, Daryl Dixon. Not a single thing."

He playfully pushed her hand away. "Girl, ya got your mind in the gutter. I's just gonna say that ya love me 'cause of my smart mouth."

The way he said those words and the smirk behind them let her know exactly what he had been planning on saying without actually saying it, and she blushed hard. "Dammit," she muttered. "There's no winnin' with you."

"Oh, ya won all right," he snarked. "Wanna win again?"

Beth's eyes darted to the tower, and then around the courtyard. No one would notice. Not even for a few minutes. They'd think they had gone to the woods or were in their cell.

She took off for the tower door, and Daryl followed. Beth pulled the door open and caught an eye full of her sister's chest as Glenn ducked down to grab the blanket.

"Good Lord," Daryl said and groaned. "Y'all got a damn cell."

"It's easier here because we don't have to worry about people…" Glenn trailed off.

"Walkin' in?" Daryl asked. "This is our place. Y'all can't be comin' here."

"No one has the right to claim any spot in this prison," Maggie said, now with the blanket covering her and Glenn held his shirt in front of his crotch area. Beth didn't want to think about it ever again.

"Well, this is ours. Price of admission is one rubber," Daryl bargained and took a step forward. "Give me one, and we'll head out, pretend this didn't happen."

Maggie looked wide-eyed between them and her mouth hung open. "He's serious."

"Yes," Beth whispered so she could hold in her laugh. "Yes, he is."

Glenn reached down and opened up the front zipper on the bag. There was a treasure trove of condoms inside, and Daryl cleared his throat. "That'll be two condoms. One for usin' the tower without permission, and the other is a finder's fee for gettin' it all nice and cozy to begin with."

Maggie was turning a bright shade of red, but Beth thought it was from embarrassment rather than anger and Glenn was pink from his ears down his chest.

He handed over three and said, "One for savin' my life."

"That's only worth one rubber to ya?" He looked at Maggie. "Ya need to get this boy some self-esteem immediately. Hell, I'd wager my life was at least worth a box."

Beth couldn't hold it in any longer. She doubled over laughing and leaned against the wall as Daryl gave that silent laugh beside her. His body shook, and his smile went from smirk to full on grin, but he didn't make any noise really.

"Ya got what ya wanted, so get out," Maggie said and pointed at the door.

Beth backed away and Daryl shuffled behind her. "Just in case y'all wanted to know, this door here locks. Prevent y'all from runnin' into trouble again."

As Daryl shut the door, Maggie flipped him off. The door clicked loudly from the inside after he pushed it to.

"That just made my day," Beth said through her laughter. "I've been wantin' to get her back so many times for stuff."

"Glad I could be of service," Daryl said and pocketed all three condoms. "Wanna go fool around somewhere?"

"And where did ya have in mind? The woods are still too full of walkers, the tower is taken, and I really don't want my dad to hear us from his cell."

Daryl twisted his lips to the side and seemed to be deep in thought. "There are other towers."

"Is this really what we've come to? Sneakin' around a prison yard to have alone time?"

Daryl shrugged. "Ain't like we got anythin' else to do today. Rick said to relax, right?"

Beth laughed and laid her hand on his bicep. "Like you needed his permission. Those condoms are burnin' a hole in your pocket."

"Ya said no more sex until we had some, well we got 'em, so let's get this goin'."

Beth actually giggled at that and blushed at his smile. She had no idea how he swept her off her feet. He wasn't smooth. He didn't have any lines. There was no filter for his thoughts, and he was so honest even if it was embarrassing.

She found all of those things genuine and unique. He wasn't like the boys she'd grown up with or the ones she had dated. Daryl Dixon wasn't like Jimmy Adams, and she appreciated that.

Daryl didn't treat her with kid gloves, and he didn't push. He was perfectly happy with going at her own pace, and he didn't expect her to follow him around like a lost puppy.

"I love you," she whispered more sincere than she ever had before.

The look in his eyes went from playful to serious in a heartbeat as he stepped toward her. She thought he was going to stay it back, and he reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb stroking softly. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth, but everything stopped because of the one boy—man—she had spent the last two days trying to avoid.

"This is sweet," Jimmy said as he stood beside them.

Daryl dropped his hand, but placed a finger through her nearest belt loop. "Ya need somethin'?"

"I don't ever wanna talk to y'all, but Rick asked me to. He wants to talk about places y'all've already hit."

Beth nodded, looking down at her boots before she said, "I really think that you and I should talk. I feel like we work through some things, Jimmy."

"There's nothin' to say. Ya thought I was dead and moved onto the next warm body that could keep ya alive."

Beth shook her head as her eyes filled up with tears. She knew that she had changed over the winter, and that Jimmy had done the same, but this Jimmy was rough and angry. He wasn't the boy that she remembered so fondly and shared memories of with Daryl.

"That's not what happened," she whispered then she looked up and met his eyes. "I was alone, survivin', for a long time on my own. I didn't start a relationship with Daryl right away. It was slow and it built. It was never my intention to hurt you. I would never do that purposefully."

"Well, ya did."

"If the tables had been turned, and you showed up here with a new girl, I wouldn't be mad, Jimmy. We were apart for months. Y'all thought I was dead. I thought _you_ were dead. It's part of movin' on."

"I'm done talkin' to ya, Beth. Ya made your choice, and now ya gotta stick with his ass."

"I wasn't plannin' on tryin' to get back with ya," she said with confusion. "That's not what this talk was about. I was tryin' to let ya know that I'm sorry for hurtin' ya. I'm not leavin' Daryl."

His face turned light red and his lips were pulled in a thin line as he glanced between them. "Ya know what? Fuck it. You're batshit crazy anyway. Cuttin' your fuckin' wrists, lookin' for attention. Ain't worth my damn time."

Beth had absolutely no time to react before Daryl had tackled Jimmy to the ground, his fists flying and landing hard against Jimmy's face.

* * *

His blood was like fire rushing through his veins as he kept wailing on Jimmy. The asshole didn't even have enough time to brace himself before Daryl was on him, and he hadn't even gotten in a decent lick back yet.

Of course, he heard all the people rushing towards them, yelling and then pulling at him.

"Talk to her again like that, and I'll string your ass up where you're walker bait, ya hear me?" Daryl whispered right in his ear as he got pulled away finally.

T-Dog had his arms pinned behind his back, and Daryl turned his head. "I'm good man. I ain't gonna go after him again."

With a look that clearly said he didn't believe that to be true, T-Dog let go of him slowly. His fists hurt and were covered in cuts and blood. His lip started stinging, and maybe Jimmy had gotten a hit in there somewhere.

"What the hell was that, Daryl?" Rick asked, charging toward him as Carol huddled over Jimmy, looking at his face and Hershel knelt beside them.

"He had it comin'." Daryl dabbed at his lip. "That's all I gotta say."

"Ya can't go around beatin' the fuck outta someone 'cause ya think he had it comin'."

"Maybe not every time, but this time called for it."

Rick took a deep, steadying breath. "This ends now."

"Ya don't gotta tell me. I want nothin' to do with his sorry ass."

Rick looked back at Jimmy and sighed. "He gonna be okay?"

"He'll live," Hershel said. "Probably not good for the run tomorrow considerin' he can't see, so ya need to pick a replacement."

Daryl looked around, trying to figure out just who would be the replacement, when he noticed that all their eyes were on him now, wary and searching. He didn't like it. They were putting him in a box like they had Beth.

He was the angry, violent, redneck asshole that had stole their little princess and he just beat down her knight in shining armor after killing some guy the day before.

"I'll go," Beth said with a shrug. "I'm fine with it. If we switch the teams around, T-Dog can go with Maggie and Glenn, and Daryl and I can go with Rick."

Rick seemed to weigh that for several seconds before finally nodding, cutting his eyes to Daryl.

"That'll work."

Even after everything Jimmy had said, none of which Daryl would volunteer because he didn't make excuses for actions that were justified, he was going to be the bad guy. Tomorrow wasn't just a run. He had a feeling Rick was going to be watching him and Beth very closely. If only to make sure that his temper didn't spill over to her.

He shook his head. This was why he had always kept to himself and why he wished they were still in that tower, locked up and alone.


	19. Chapter 19

Ch. 19

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I'm so sorry I was able to reply to them. Last week was crazy.

The next two chapters are hard. I hope you like them.

* * *

"I can talk to my daddy," Beth said quietly as they walked away from the scene. "He needs to know why."

"Don't tell your daddy shit," he muttered as he straightened out his hand. It was bloodied and his knuckles were split. "He can think what he wants to think."

Beth sighed. She knew he would feel this way and that's the reason she didn't say anything before. Jimmy's words still hurt and her scar seemed to sting a little even though it was long since healed. It was getting to the point where Beth wasn't going to be able to make excuses for him anymore. She understood he was hurt, she accepted that. She knew he was mad, she could even grant him a little time to throw some words around.

This went beyond anger, though. He wanted to hurt her. Not physically because that wasn't Jimmy. He wanted to break her like she had done him. Beth wasn't entirely certain he was mad about her and Daryl or if he was mad about the idea of her being gone or even the death of who he used to be. Jimmy still thought there was something left of the before, and it had died when he realized that Beth wasn't his anymore.

"I think he'll stay away now," she whispered. "He's done."

"Damn right, he's done." Daryl's voice was even and hard. "He comes near you again, I'll fuck him up worse."

There was no use in saying anything different. Daryl wasn't in any frame of mind to hear that Jimmy wasn't going to be a problem anymore. Beth didn't even know how to explain how she knew it either. It was best just to let it go, and everyone would figure it out eventually.

"Let me clean your hands," she said and led him into the prison.

"Don't need ya to make a big deal outta this. I've had worse."

"But ya didn't have me then either."

Daryl cut his eyes at her but nodded. "Fine."

They went to the showers, and Beth washed his hands in the sink, trying to be gentle but still seeing him flinch as she hit a sensitive spot.

"Are ya okay?" She asked him as she dried his fingers.

"I'll be all right."

Beth swallowed past the lump in her throat. "Thank you for standin' up for me. I don't like that you're hurt or he is, but thank you."

"Couldn't help myself," he said with snort. "Been lookin' to knock the hell out of him since they all showed up."

"I know. Ya bided your time and got the perfect moment."

"Sure did."

"He didn't mean it." Beth looked down at Daryl's hand.

"He did, too. He just never said it before."

With a final heavy sigh, she said, "We should probably stay away for today. Just to let everyone cool off."

Daryl pushed away from the sink. "I don't need to cool off, and that bastard ain't gonna make it to where I feel like I need to tiptoe around everyone. They'll think what they wanna think, but I ain't gonna tuck my tail between my legs and hide 'cause he's a little bitch."

"I'm not sayin' we're at fault here. I just don't want to cause any problems with Rick before we go on the run, and I don't think you want a lecture from my daddy about not usin' fists to solve your problems."

"Why the fuck would your daddy think he could tell me shit?"

"I've been right where you are, Daryl." Beth snapped her head around to face the door. Her dad didn't look angry at all. He looked wary and cautious. "I'd like to talk to ya."

"I don't wanna talk."

He looked to Beth. "Sweetheart, go check on lunch with your sister for me? If someone leaves her alone for more than five minutes, she takes off with Glenn."

Beth blushed hard but started to walk out of the room. It never crossed her mind to tell him no or to tell him that she was staying. She knew that whatever he had to say to Daryl would be important and helpful.

A long time ago, Hershel Greene had been a drunk and reckless. He had even been arrested a time or two for public intoxication. It had never gone on his record, though. Being friends with the county sheriff tended to make a lot of stuff go away, especially in their small town.

"Just gonna leave me here then?" Daryl asked as she reached the door.

"Yeah," she said as she caught his stare. "He cares, too, Daryl."

With that, she shut the door behind herself and walked down the hallway that split C and D.

* * *

"I can definitely say that he looks a hell of a lot worse than you," Hershel said as he leaned against the cinderblock wall of the nearest shower.

"Then I obviously did somethin' right." Daryl smirked and winced as his lip stretched the cut apart.

"Ya gonna explain what happened?"

"Nah," he said. "Won't matter none. What's done is done."

"Some people would understand if ya told them what he said."

"How do ya know he said anythin'?"

Hershel shook his head. "I may be old but I have eyes, son. I saw the look on her face as I was walkin' toward y'all."

"Why were ya walkin' that way anyway?"

"I was lookin' for Maggie. She was supposed to be helpin' fix somethin' to eat, but Carol couldn't find her anywhere."

Daryl laughed out loud. "You sure didn't wanna find Maggie around that time."

A low groan escaped Hershel's throat. "Those two. I swear to God that's all they do now. It's gonna drive us all insane."

"She's your daughter." Daryl had no idea how a man talked so freely about his kid's sex life like that. Hell, he couldn't manage to talk about his own all that easy, even with Beth.

"She's also twenty-four. I've been dealin' with Margaret Ann Greene for nearly a quarter century, and the last ten have been tryin' to get her to stay away from boys."

"Ya cain't stop her from runnin' around."

He sighed heavily. "Oh, I'm aware of that, Daryl."

They stood in silence for a long time. Neither one moved to leave, but Hershel didn't push him to speak either. Daryl wasn't too sure what to say. He was pissed about what Jimmy had said, sure, but it went deeper than that. It hurt him to hear someone call out her scar.

He remembered when she told him about it.

 _I ain't weak. I just had a weak moment._

Fuck Jimmy for thinking he could say that shit. He had no right.

Hershel seemed to be waiting as Daryl got all his thoughts together because when he finally spoke, Hershel stood up a little straighter.

"We were on our own together for a while. I'm not used to people, and she's not used to y'all not knowin' who she is now. She ain't suicidal or crazy. She's a good person. I know he loved her, but the person he loved ain't around no more. It ain't a bad thing either. It's not even a thing at all. She changed. He changed. I don't understand why people think that time just stops once they're gone and expect everythin' to pick back up once they come back."

"I think it was as simple as holdin' onto a piece of the old world," Hershel said quietly. "It wasn't right, but in a way, losin' her again made this more real for Jimmy. Seein' you so sure of yourself and calm, that scared him even more."

"Why?" Daryl shook his head. "That don't make no sense."

Hershel cleared his throat. "There's somethin' inside ya that breaks when ya find yourself on the receivin' end of your old man's belt too many times. Breeds an anger in ya, hardens ya up, ya learn to talk with your fists." He held up his own and Daryl could see the white scars crisscrossing them. "As time goes on, sometimes that anger turns to a simmer, other times it keeps roarin' and someone's liable to end up in jail or get themselves killed."

There was a awkward pause as Hershel seemed to look over Daryl intently.

"Which on are you?" Hershel asked. "Which one's your brother? Y'all both the same?"

Daryl looked at his boots and shook his head.

"No one'll ever know how ya feel, Daryl. Everybody deals with it differently, and I'm not sayin' Jimmy didn't have it comin'. Maybe it will straighten this all out, but sometimes when that rage runs a bit too hot, those fists fly against people they never should." That got Daryl's attention, and he stared right at Hershel. "I need to make sure that'll never happen to my daughter."

"I'd never—" he trailed off.

"My Josephine was like a tornado when she came into my life. Picked me up off a barstool and plunked me down in my daddy's farmhouse. I was rough around the edges, Daryl. She smoothed them out a little. I owed that woman a lot, but she was gone too soon for me to show her how much she meant to me. Now, I love Annette, but Josephine Atkins is the reason I'm still alive. It's always important to tell people that."

Daryl's brow furrowed. "What the fuck did that have to do with anythin'?"

Hershel shrugged. "I'm an old man. I chase rabbits sometimes." He smiled and nodded toward the door. "I bet lunch is ready by now."

They left the showers and walked side-by-side toward C Block.

Daryl felt a little lighter at the fact that Hershel didn't hate him, but he was confused, too. Was he approving of their relationship by sorta telling him to tell Beth that he loved her?

That word lit a fire in his chest, and not the bad kind either. It was warm and comforting like her smile. The way she had said those words so intently before Jimmy had shown up. The absolute truth and sincerity in her voice.

Beth Greene loved Daryl Dixon, and Daryl Dixon loved Beth Greene.

It was just that simple.

* * *

The rest of the day passed without any incidents much to Beth's surprise.

People went on guard duty, Rick walked the fence, Hershel and Carol discussed Lori and her pregnancy.

Beth just watched it all and processed the fact that her family was alive, and for the moment, they were safe. Tomorrow they'd go out and try and scavenge a little while all the walkers still moved slow. Get lots of baby stuff for the future member of their group.

When she was sure Lori was finally alone, Beth knocked on the bars of her cells softly. Lori looked up at her with a pained smile on her face.

"Ya okay?" Beth asked and moved inside the cell.

"I'm good," Lori said. She took a deep breath through her nose and let it out the same way. "This one's strong, and I'm not exactly firin' on all cylinders."

Beth nodded even though she had no idea what the woman was going through. If there were any way she could prevent it, she never would either. The sheer terror she must feel at bringing a baby into this—Beth couldn't imagine.

"I can tell ya still think I'm stupid," Lori said with a quiet laugh. "It's not the best option, but I couldn't do it."

"Do what?" Beth asked as she leaned on the writing desk in the cell.

"I took several morning after pills when I found out." Beth felt her eyes go wide. "Then I threw 'em all up. Rick and I have our problems, and this isn't the right time or the right place, but I couldn't do it. This baby is innocent."

"Don't you worry about what could happen?"

Lori nodded. "All the time, but if somethin' goes wrong, I know this baby will okay."

"How?" Beth asked, stunned by how certain Lori sounded.

"Because this baby'll have all of you."

Beth tried to process the words and the conviction in them. It was beyond her years, and for the first time she realized that even if she had faced so much already, there was a whole lot left to come.

"I'm sorry," Beth said quietly.

"About what?" Lori asked still smiling kindly at her.

"For what I said before, at the farm, about the baby and you."

"Everyone loses themselves sometimes, Beth. We all make mistakes, say things we don't mean, or mean them at the time then wish we'd just kept our damn mouths shut. What matters is how we move on from there. There was never anythin' to forgive between me and you, sweetheart."

She absorbed that and closed her eyes. "Is forgiveness really that easy?"

"No," she answered immediately and looked out to where Rick sat. "Sometimes it's really hard, and some of the mistakes we make can't be fixed."

"What happens then?" Beth asked, trying to decide where she stood on the matter, her thoughts on Jimmy and Lori's still on Rick it seemed.

"Then you have to live without a little piece of yourself."

Lori winced again, and Beth noticed the way she held her stomach tight.

"Do I need to get Daddy?" She asked Lori in a whisper so no one else would hear.

"Yes," Lori answered. "Please don't make a scene."

"I won't," Beth promised as she hastily left the cell.

Beth walked toward the showers where she knew she'd find her dad still talking to Daryl and realized something.

She didn't want to stay mad at Jimmy. She didn't want Daryl to be on edge around him all the time. She wanted peace, and she wanted security for their group. It wouldn't be easy or overnight, but she was going to make sure that things smoothed out between all three of them.

Maggie had said life was too short, and it was.

* * *

 _God help this woman._ Daryl prayed as her screams tore through the cellblock. Even the two guys over in D came running, thinking they'd gotten attacked.

No one told them to go back. They sat beside everyone else outside Lori's cell that now had a sheet in place over the bars for privacy as they waited for something to give.

Daryl hadn't ever seen or heard a birth before. He knew that it sounded like torture now. She'd been groaning and crying then screaming. The noise made him so anxious that he craved a cigarette.

"Wanna take watch," he asked Beth who sat at his side.

"No," she whispered. "I need to stay. I'm gonna see if daddy needs my help."

He eyed her carefully then looked to one of the inmates. "Wanna take watch with me?"

Both of them nodded and followed Daryl out the side door and into the evening air. They all drew in deep, cleansing breaths.

Then Oscar sighed. "The day my daughter was born was the prettiest day I can remember."

"How old was she?" Daryl asked, immediately regretting using the past tense.

"Six," he whispered thickly. "She was six and had her mother's light brown eyes. She was tall and lanky as a beanpole. Had this mess of curly black hair. There was a picture in my bunk over in A. I was in the cafeteria when it all went down, so I couldn't grab it before we locked ourselves up."

Axel casually wiped his cheek and blew out a heavy breath. "Ain't no time like the present," he said with a sniff.

Daryl looked over both the men and nodded. A picture was gold now, and this man here would never see his little girl again, so it was beyond that. It was priceless. "Let's get it."

"Just like that?" Oscar said and looked at Daryl from the corner of his eye. "Ya don't know me."

"Nah, I don't," Daryl said quietly. "Back before they found us, when she was still lost to 'em, my girl took a family picture from her house to keep with her. Shit like that means somethin'."

"It does," Oscar said and started around the side of the building toward the building marked "A".

"What were ya in for?" Daryl asked as they got to the door.

"Weapons charge. Cousin left his gun under my front seat, but they didn't believe that, and it's not like they could track it back to him. It was stolen from some other asshole. I took the fall 'cause he never came forward. Two years. I'd served six months before this happened. I was up for parole in another two."

"I'm sorry, man," Daryl said it and he meant it.

Daryl beat on the door and said, "Let's wait and see if we hear anythin'."

After a couple of minutes of silence, Daryl carefully opened the door and all that was revealed was emptiness. No bodies or walkers. Just plan, empty and clean.

"Guess we should went here first," Daryl muttered.

"I didn't know," Oscar said as he stepped inside. "They split us up between the cafeteria and the exercise yard then made us switch. They must have locked it up after they got everyone in their place and never came back through."

"Just get the picture and come on," Axel whispered and looked all around. "I feel like somethin's gonna jump out at me."

They stood by the door and watched as Oscar walked to the third bottom cell and went inside. He came back out a couple minutes later with a small journal.

"Let's go," he said, his eyes shining with tears.

Daryl nodded and they exited A and went back to the fences. Once they were standing still in the cold winter air, Oscar opened his journal and Daryl peeked over at the picture inside.

A cute little girl with a big smile and missing front tooth. "She's beautiful," he said before he could stop himself.

"Thank you," Oscar spoke softly and ran his finger over his daughter's face. "She's the best thing that ever happened to me," he spoke mostly to himself.

"What about that baby?" Axel asked out of the blue, pulling Oscar from his thoughts and Daryl back into the moment. "This ain't no place for a little one."

"We'll all have to take care of it," Daryl said. "There's plenty of us to make sure it's okay."

"In case you didn't notice, we ain't exactly welcome in C," Oscar said and closed the journal.

"Who the fuck cares anymore," Daryl muttered. "We know you two are good people."

"Ya don't know what I did," Axel said.

"What'd you do?"

"I tried to rob the 7/11 over in Aster."

" _Tried?"_ Daryl asked with a smirk.

"The gun wasn't loaded and the clerk hit me with a baseball bat upside the head before I could get away."

Daryl laughed and said, "I remember hearin' about that on the news!"

Axel turned a deep shade of red. "I had a bit of a gamblin' problem."

"I'll say," Oscar laughed.

The next moment, the door to C swung open with a crash. "Daryl!" Beth hollered his name as she ran toward him. "We need to go!"

"What?" His heart dropped to his feet. "Walkers?"

"No," Beth said with her face covered in tears. "It's—"

A gunshot ripped through the air and seconds later the far away sound of a baby crying reached his ears.

"Oh god, no," Oscar mumbled and walked away toward the gate.

Axel crumbled in himself and sat at a picnic table.

Daryl couldn't get his feet to move toward Beth who had stopped at the sound of the gun.

"The baby," Beth whispered. "She needs us."


	20. Chapter 20

Ch. 20

Thank you all so much for reviewing!

* * *

It didn't matter that darkness was closing in on them; Daryl sped down the country roads with Beth hugging onto him tightly.

He imagined that the run for tomorrow would be postponed indefinitely, but the baby needed shit now. Him and Beth would find it all so no one else had to think about it as everyone else dealt with their loss. He could feel Beth's sobs against his back as he got further and further from the prison.

She was a complete mess, and he couldn't blame her. He hadn't said more than a passing word to Lori since they had met days earlier, but now, he was making it his newest mission in life to get that kid whatever it needed.

They stopped at a strip mall in Camden, and Beth hopped off the bike readying her bow as they walked toward the small grocery store.

"Do ya think they'll have formula?"

"Should," he answered and banged on the glass. It took a couple of minutes, but soon he heard the groans of rotters approaching. "We got this, girl. Can't be more than a few."

Daryl busted the glass doors and they stumbled out slowly. Just four. Neither one of them even broke a sweat putting them down.

"Tell me what happened," he said as they walked down the aisles in the dimming daylight.

"The baby wouldn't turn. She was sideways, and daddy tried to make her move, but Lori started bleeding really bad. It all happened so fast, Daryl. They had to cut her open to get the baby. She was dead before the little girl was even cut away from her momma."

"Good God," he muttered. "Who shot?"

"I don't know. They handed the baby off to Maggie and forced us out of the cell," she said and her voice broke. "I hope it wasn't Rick."

"It'll be okay. Maybe not today or tomorrow or even in a few months, but it'll eventually be okay."

Beth didn't respond, and Daryl didn't push. They scoured the aisles and eventually came up with a few cans of formula, two bottles, some diapers, and two packages of plain white baby shirts.

"I don't know if this is even right," Beth whispered. "Do new babies need special food or bottles?"

Daryl shrugged. "Dunno. If it ain't right, we come out again tomorrow and find more. Carol can tell us."

With a small nod, Beth threw her pack over her shoulder and they went back through the front door and out into the parking lot. A few walkers were stumbling around, but they weren't a threat, and he was too worn down to try and kill them before hopping on the bike.

They dodged the walkers as they made their way out onto the main rain then Daryl burnt rubber all the way back to the prison.

He had no idea what Rick was feeling. He never would. How does someone cope with such a sudden loss? Especially one that was so jarring as what had happened? Rick had a daughter now without a mother. That baby would depend on runs for formula that was probably all but gone from the shelves.

The conversation about babies with Beth flashed through his mind and he swallowed hard. This was the exact thing she was afraid of. There was already so much death in this life, and now they had to face this.

It was just after dark when they pulled up to the prison gates. Axel opened them and nodded as Daryl rolled inside.

"Y'all had any trouble?" Daryl asked after Beth hopped off the bike and walked quickly to the cellblock.

"No," Oscar said quietly. "Someone came out to keep watch, but we told him that you gave us the go ahead to keep a look out, so they went back inside."

"Did ya manage to find anythin'?" Axel asked.

"Only a little. Anyone else come out?"

They both shook their heads.

"It's gettin' cold. Go back inside and eat. I'll find someone to take watch while we figure out what's goin' on."

They followed Daryl inside and once the door was open to C, he could hear the screams of a little baby from the cells. He saw Carol holding the girl and Beth shaking up a bottle. They were trying to put it in her mouth but she was pushing it out and squalling.

"Here," he said and held out his arms.

Carol looked at him with a raised eyebrow but handed over the baby. When she was secure in the crook of his arm, he motioned for the bottle and rubbed it over the baby's bottle lip, pushing it in just a little.

Finally, she latched onto it, and Daryl looked up with a smile at the two women in front of him. "See, ya like that, sweetheart?" He asked the baby quietly. "That's a good girl."

"Well, I'll be damned," Carol said with a laugh. "We have the baby whisperer with us."

"Kids always liked me," Daryl said quietly.

"You have any of your own," Carol asked as she watched Judith.

"Nah," Daryl said quietly. "No kids. No nothin'."

Beth scooted closer to his side and watched as the baby ate. She was a tiny thing, very red still and wrapped up in a blanket.

"Where's Rick?" Daryl asked, not taking his eyes from the baby.

Everyone got even quieter around him then Hershel said, "He took off down into the tombs."

"Why?" Beth asked as she looked toward the gate that led directly down there.

Hershel cleared his throat and his eyes darted to the cell where the curtain was pulled closed and said, "He was out of his mind afterward. He didn't even stop to think about what it meant that she died that way."

"Oh no," Beth whispered and immediately walked to the cell. "Carl?" Beth called quietly then walked inside.

"Fuck," Daryl muttered.

"He took off as soon as y'all were out the side door. We kept calling for him to come back, but he wouldn't listen. Carl did it. Jimmy was going to, but Carl pulled his gun first."

Daryl looked to Jimmy who was leaning against the wall with his eye swollen shut and bruised lip. There was a long bruise across his cheek, too. He was staring at the floor, completely frozen.

"Shoulda been one of us," Daryl said. "I shouldn't have gone outside."

"Ya can't always do the dirty work, Daryl," Hershel said and patted his shoulder before looking down at the baby. "Maybe you and T-Dog could go ahead and start digging a grave tomorrow mornin'? We can have a service for her."

Daryl looked over at T-Dog who nodded. "Yeah. We can do that."

"I'll start dinner," Carol said and looked over at the cell.

That was something she always did with Lori, but now she wasn't there anymore. Maggie and Glenn were gone, too, but Daryl figure it was because Maggie was probably in complete shock over what had happened and Glenn was trying to keep her calm.

Everyone moved to away as Daryl stood standing outside the cell door, rocking slowly with the baby in his arms.

"You okay, lil' asskicker?" He asked in a sad voice. The baby turned her head to the side and started whining before looking up and staring at him with big blue eyes. "Yeah, you're gonna be okay."

* * *

Carl didn't say anything and neither did Beth.

Lori's body lay on the cot with a sheet pulled up to cover her. Blood stained it in several places, and Beth didn't need to ask to know where it came from. The baby's traumatic birth, the bullet that ended her second life before it could begin.

Inside the cell, she had been trying to help her daddy. She held Lori's hand, she pushed back her sweat drenched hair. Maggie had the boiling water and cloths. Carol was situated on her knees on the cot as she helped Hershel attempt to turn the baby.

All the while, Rick stood powerless to stop what was happening or help in any way. He kneeled beside Lori's head and whispered into her ear words that Beth couldn't hear, but Lori nodded and choked out, "I know. I love you."

She called over Carl and whispered some things to him then it was like she just let go.

"Get her out," Lori told Hershel in a calm voice despite the fact she seemed to be hemorrhaging and about to lose consciousness.

Hershel didn't have a chance to respond because she closed her eyes and her body relaxed completely. Beth thought she was dead, but as soon as the knife cut into her stomach, she screamed so loud Beth cringed back.

Everything was quick after that. The baby arrived, bloody and screaming. Hershel passed her off to Maggie and Carol pushed them from the room with tears running down her cheeks.

Beth rushed past Maggie and told her, "Daryl and I are goin' for baby stuff now. She'll live."

Daryl was keeping the baby happy for the time being, and Beth felt the need to sit beside Carl even if he wasn't in any condition to speak.

"I'm sorry," she said as she reached out and straightened the sheet. "It seems like it means nothin' right now, but it's all I got."

Several minutes passed, and Beth could hear people sit down to eat. She didn't ask him what he wanted, she just got up and went to get him some food. As she passed the table, she smiled at Daryl, who was still holding the baby, and the two inmates that sat across from him with Jimmy and her daddy on either side of them. T-Dog sat on Daryl's left and Glenn sat on his right with Maggie next to him.

Beth nodded at them and went to Carol who was holding out two bowls. "Try and get him to eat a little."

"Has anyone gotten to see Rick?"

Carol glanced to the tables. "Glenn tried, but he said Rick almost took his head off with a machete."

"Oh, no," Beth whispered. "What're we gonna do?"

She cleared her throat then took a deep breath. "Just keep the baby alive."

With the two bowls of warm soup in her hands, Beth went back into the cell and held one out to Carl. "Eat a little somethin'."

"I had to do it," he admitted and took the bowl. "Dad ran out. He lost it. Jimmy came in when Hershel kept calling for him, but I couldn't let him do it. It had to be me. They were takin' too long to decide how it needed to be done, but Beth, I've seen how fast people can turn.

"There was this one time, a long time ago, before y'all's farm, when we were camped at a quarry. A girl named Amy got bit on the arm and neck, she bled out but it took hours for her to turn. That same night, a guy named Jim got bit on his stomach. It wasn't anythin' but teeth marks, and it took him a couple of days to get so weak with pain that he begged us to leave him. I don't know what happened to him. Then there was a guy over the winter. He had his stomach torn to shreds, kinda like Dale, but he turned within minutes.

"That's what happened to my mom, so I wasn't sure, but I couldn't let her become one of them. I just couldn't let it happen. I held the gun to the side of her head so it wouldn't mess up her face."

Beth wiped her cheeks and nodded.

"She hadn't been bit, though, so maybe it would have taken a little bit longer?" She posed the question and waited.

"I couldn't chance it, and my dad couldn't do it."

"Well, she's at peace now."

"Is she?" Carl asked harshly. "She died a painful death and left behind her family. She wasn't done here yet, and she's at peace?"

Beth swallowed hard. "She knew there was a chance that this would happen. She wouldn't have wanted you to be the one to do it, but she knows your reasons, Carl. Now, we've got to pick up the pieces and take care of the baby."

He nodded. "What did you do when your mom died?"

Beth sucked in a sharp breath. He didn't mean when she was killed as a walker. He meant the first time. When she really died.

"I hid in my room, and I cried. Daddy put her in the barn, and then I kept tellin' myself that she'd get better one day."

"Then ya hurt yourself after she died the second time?"

"Yes," Beth whispered. "It felt pointless to me."

"What did?" Carl asked quietly, stirring his soup.

"Life," Beth answered, shifting her eyes from where he sat.

They ate in silence for a few minutes then Carl asked, "What about now?"

"What about it?"

"Does life feel pointless all these months later?"

Beth sighed and shook her head. "No, it's not pointless. There's so much worth fightin' for."

Carl nodded and finished his soup and passed Beth the bowl. "Thank you," he said. "I'm gonna wait here for a while longer."

"Okay," she said and stood up. "Carl?"

He looked up at her and said, "Yeah?"

"The pain doesn't go away. Ya just learn to make room for it."

His eyes closed and tear slid down his cheek, but Beth turned and went outside the cell, knowing he'd need a little more time to himself. Hell, she needed time to herself now. She wondered about the pain that used to take up most of her chest, but now it was it's own little box and many other things took position beside it.

Daryl was there, her family, this group, the baby. Surviving and living.

She could live in the past, but then it wouldn't do any good. She'd mourn every day for their losses or she could grieve then get back up. The baby would need people to care for it. The prison would need protecting. Runs would need to be made.

Rick was inconsolable, and rightfully so. Now it was up to them to get things functioning again.

Beth looked over at the table where their group sat. It was small now, but that was okay. Sometimes less people meant less trouble. At least they were all grouped together and not separated, wary of the others.

Daryl.

The baby.

Her daddy.

Maggie.

Glenn.

Jimmy.

Carol.

T-Dog.

Axel.

Oscar.

Add in Carl back in the cell, Rick in the tombs and her, and they were thirteen strong. Well, twelve, since the baby wouldn't be much help for a long time.

She walked to Daryl's side of the table and leaned against his left shoulder as she looked down at the baby.

"Ya ever gonna let someone else hold her?" She asked playfully.

Carol laughed softly. "She's like a baby duck and imprinted on him. Won't let anyone else hold her right now."

"Seriously?" Beth asked as she looked at the sleeping baby.

"Yeah," he grunted. "My arms are sore."

"Here," Maggie said. "Let me try again."

This time, the baby went over without any fuss, and Beth ruffled Daryl's hair.

"What'd we do now?" He asked, looking at Hershel.

Her daddy tapped the table a few times before looking up at all of them. "Tomorrow we'll hold a service for Lori and then we'll try and keep goin'."

Beth twisted her fingers around Daryl's long hair at his neck and her heart was so heavy. She knew this was going to happen many more times. They'd lose someone then have to keep moving on.

All those steps forward, though, did they take them so far away from the people that they left behind that there was nothing left to remember or find anymore. In six months, if they made it that long, would the farm even register with her anymore? Would she remember her momma like she used to? Would Carl remember Lori as well?

She stopped stroking his hair.

In six months times, would Daryl be alive? Would she?

"I think I'm ready to go to bed," she said and tugged on his jacket.

"Yeah," he agreed. "T-Dog and Carol are takin' first watch. Then Maggie and Glenn."

They said their goodnights then went into their cell, closing it behind them and hanging the little privacy sheet. It was pitch black but that didn't matter.

"Tomorrow, we'll go huntin'."

"Okay," she said and held her hands out in front of her to find his body. "Can we just forget for a little while?"

"Like in the tower?" He asked, his voice gruff as he found her arms.

"Yeah," she whispered. "I want to be close to ya again."

They were so quiet as they undressed and slid under the thin bed sheet. Neither one of them spoke as he touched her until she was shivering, and he was tense with need. Their breath mingled in the air as their lips stayed barely touching.

His body moved over hers easily, and this was so different from the first time or the other times were it was fun and full of eagerness. This was about reconnecting, letting them both know that the other was still there and still theirs.

The future wasn't exactly bright but when they were one like that, it seemed a little less scary. His lips brushed her jaw and her hands ran up and down his back before tracing the muscles of his arms.

She couldn't see a thing, but she could feel him, and she knew him by the rough skin of his hands on her hips and the scars on his back. The scruff on his chin and the way his breath caught when she raised her hips up to meet his.

Beth felt a tingle start in her stomach, and with each thrust, she felt it spread just a little.

The darkness helped her appreciate all the other feelings going on instead of looking at his face as he tensed and moaned softly. The way their skin slid against each other, and despite the temperature, they were both sweating.

"I love you," he whispered softly against her ear, and her heart sped up at the words.

"I love you, too," she said just as quietly back.

Maybe she wasn't the only one that felt a bit freer in the darkness.


	21. Chapter 21

Ch. 21

Thank you all so much for reviewing! I think there's about six chapters left?

* * *

It was warm again, and Beth wondered if she could just sit outside and absorbed all that sunlight into her body so she would never be cold again.

The prison had been a great protector from the cold and wind, but it still wasn't like before. It was what she imagined an old castle would feel like. Drafty, the wind slipping through cracks and windows, the cement of the building staying the same temperature as it was outside.

It was spring, though, and it wasn't cold anymore. It was beautiful and bright. The sun shined down on them and their little garden. There were wildflowers growing in between the prison gates, and they were catching game in their snares.

Beth was happy and feeling relieved.

The baby had survived the winter. They had an ample supply of formula thanks to Daryl, Glenn, and Jimmy and one hell of a gutsy run into Macon.

Everything would have been perfection for them in this new world if it hadn't been for the snarling walkers that gathered along the fences like moths to a flame.

She had no idea where they all came from, but slowly, like they were following the call of the others around them, they made their way to the prison. They pressed against the chain link fences, their skin peeling off as they drug their bodies against it.

If she pretended things were fine, she would just be sitting in the sun, but she didn't imagine things like that anymore. It was stupid to pretend away your surroundings. Being alert was the only thing that kept everyone alive.

With a deep breath, she picked up the short, but heavy, piece of rebar and began ramming it into the skulls of the walkers.

It wasn't the most glamorous job, but they all took turns doing it. Working the fence was like taking a turn on watch. Even Carl took fence duty.

Everyone pitched in and had their own little niche now. It hadn't been formal at all, but they didn't have a sole leader anymore. Rick had collapsed into a depression then finally into an almost pacifist state.

They lived by majority vote now, and nothing major was ever done without the whole group's approval. Still, her daddy took care of the medicines and lists of medical supplies. Carol inventoried the kitchen and pantry. Glenn and Maggie were in charge of runs. Daryl was defense and caretaker of Judith. Beth handled most of the hunting except for mornings. Daryl always went first thing in the morning with her. Jimmy and T-Dog handled fence checks and water control. Oscar and Axel made sure that the tombs were secure since they knew their way around the bowels of the prison better than any of them.

Rick took care of the garden, and he made Carl help him with it.

Beth didn't know much about the grief he was coping with, but she and Daryl always had Judith. More so Daryl because she was always attached to him. He never called her by the name that Carl gave her, though. It was always "sweetheart" or "lil' asskicker". Beth had even written it on her little mail crate that she slept in.

Daryl liked it, and he liked taking care of the baby. She didn't mind it either, but she was constantly worried that if something ever happened to Judith, Daryl wouldn't be able to cope. She knew that she wouldn't which was why she tried to keep distance between them.

Her resistance was hard fought because Beth loved singing to her.

Eventually Rick would come in and take her for a little while, but then he'd always bring her back. Daryl muttered on and on about how he'd come around and everything would be fine, but it had been three months, and Rick was still staring into space and talking to himself.

It was sad for all of them, but it was life changing for him. She figured it had to do with the separation between them and all the unsaid words, but she would never ask. She wasn't close to Rick. No one really was anymore.

"Girl, ya think too hard, you're liable to catch a headache," Daryl said from her left.

Beth turned and smiled his way. "You're lookin' lonely this mornin'."

Daryl blushed a little. "Carol took her. Said that I's spoilin' her."

"You do," Beth agreed and went back to stabbing another walker.

"Kid just needs some good memories. She needs to know she's wanted and cared for."

She let the rebar fall to her side and turned his way. "You're amazin' with her, but it's not your job, and one day, he's gonna wake up and take over."

Daryl shook his head. "I ain't gonna act like she's mine. I know she ain't. Don't want her callin' me daddy and shit. I'm just this placeholder until he gets his shit together. I know she's got you and Carol, but I like helpin', too."

"You do too much," Beth said and turned to the fence again. "Ya rigged traps in the woods, ya double-check the fence even though ya know T and Jimmy do a good job, ya go on runs with Glenn, ya go huntin' with me."

He shrugged. "What can I say? I like to know what's goin' on in my little world."

"The only people ya don't chase around are my daddy, Carol, Axel and Oscar." She cut her eyes at him as she waited for his reply.

"Your daddy's a tough sonofabitch. Carol's sneaky as hell. Y'all don't even know that woman really. Axel and Oscar are good. They know the price and the way things stand. Besides, the tombs smell like rotters. I'll pass."

"What'd ya mean about Carol?" She asked, stopping her work again.

"Just somethin' I can feel, I guess. She's like me. She don't trust people. She's wary and even though she doesn't ask them a lot, she's got questions."

"And how do ya know all that?"

"Her hair's longer now, but when she first got here, there was bald spot missing in the back. Small, no bigger than a half dollar. I know where she comes from just like she knows about me without me tellin' her."

Beth felt a tingle of something in her chest but ignored it. "And here I thought I was special."

"Ya are," he said matter of factly. "She might know, but I didn't tell her." They settled into the quiet then Daryl asked, "How's things with Jimbo?"

"Fine," she said with a shrug. "We're civil. That's about it. Y'all still tradin' barbs?"

"Always." He laughed a little. "It's funnest on runs when he can't really say shit because we'll get caught. Just stews in his anger."

"Ya shouldn't do that to him."

"I know. I can't resist, though."

Beth nodded. "I'm sure he says just as bad shit."

"Nah." Daryl shook his head. "He's alright. Don't talk about you no more. Just makes fun of my general hillbillyness."

"And what do you make fun of?" She nudged his shoulder. "Better not be about me."

"It's not. I call him nicknames a lot. Boy Scout, Whitebread, Jimbo. He hates it. Hates he don't know how to hunt, too."

"I'm sure everyone wishes they were as knowledgeable as you."

"And you," he said immediately. "Girl, I don't know if ya've noticed this, but you feed this prison in meat. I go out and hunt a little. I check the snares, but I spend my time rigging those woods like damn war zone."

"They see me differently now."

Daryl raised his hand to her neck. "They should. You're a fuckin' badass. I'm proud of ya."

Beth smiled and looked away, but Daryl tilted her chin up and kissed her softly.

"The weather's good now," she whispered against his lips.

"Tower again?"

They stared into each other's eyes and smiled.

It looked like they were going back to their home away from home again, and she couldn't be more excited.

* * *

"This run isn't as important as the last one for formula and baby food," Glenn said and pointed to a map. "We're running low on medical supplies, and we want to hit several pharmacies in the area. Maybe hospitals, too. The longer they're out there, the more likely it is someone else will pick them up."

"What he wants is rubbers," Daryl mumbled and kicked Jimmy's boot. He didn't really like the guy, but he'd saved his ass a couple of times over the winter. It seemed like after Lori died, a lot of them realized they had bigger shit to worry about that love triangles.

"They don't sell extra small," Jimmy said with a snort.

Daryl laughed at that, too, and Glenn shot them both a glare. "That's a common misconception. All condoms are the same size. They just advertise some as bigger for assholes like you two who think you've got extra larges."

"I don't think that," Daryl said with a grin. "I'm perfectly average."

"Well, you two sissies are perfect together then. It won't hurt too much when ya finally go for it." Jimmy snarked and stood up. "I'm ready to go whenever."

Once he was out of sight, Glenn sighed. "He doesn't like it when you bring up sex."

"I know. I don't say specifics. I just like to fuck with him."

"Let's just not today. When we find other people, good people, and he's getting laid, then you can make dick jokes."

"Whatever," Daryl muttered. "Holler at me when you're ready to go."

"Damn children."

Daryl had to laugh, but it was silent as he walked away. That's just what he did, and Jimmy just walked away or waited to pull a punch over something when they were out. Didn't matter none to either one of them, and it was a lot cleaner than brawling every time they looked at each other.

It helped that his interactions with Beth were very limited. They rarely spoke, and that suited Daryl just fine. Beth didn't act like she was missing out either, but he figured she was being considerate like always and giving Jimmy his space.

He hadn't been kidding earlier when he said he was proud of her. She had come so far over the winter, and she was the reason their people were getting fed. They had leftovers in the kitchen still and canned stuff from runs, but Beth put meat on the table.

With the weather getting warmer, though, he was going to start going with her more often. People got to moving around along with the walkers, and he'd be damned if someone caught up with her out there.

She would probably laugh him off, but Judith would be fine. Carol loved taking care of her, and he knew his time was running low when it came to being the main protector in her life.

When Rick got it together, he'd take a step back, and it seemed more and more likely as the days got warmer. He was coming back to himself and finding a purpose, even if it wasn't leading.

About thirty minutes later, he had his crossbow slung over his shoulder and was kissing Beth goodbye before hopping on his bike. If shit went down, he could draw them off while Glenn and Jimmy got to the truck. At least, that's what he knew he'd do. No one else knew that.

"Be safe," she said quietly. "Bring back good stuff."

"I'll try. I'm at the whims of the pizza boy today."

"I heard that, asshole," Glenn said before he shut the driver's side door.

"Stop." Beth grinned despite trying not to. "Don't wreck the bike or anythin'."

He threw his leg over and revved the engine. "Don't worry about me. Go down there and kill those walkers. Get too many more and we'll be fucked again."

Beth's eyes scanned the fence below and she nodded. She was smart, calculating, efficient, and he loved her for all that and more.

She waved and he took off down the gravel road to the gate. Carl pushed it open and he sped out, drawing the walkers to the noise so Carl could open it wider for the truck.

When he got out on the main road, he closed his eyes for a split second, and a grin spread across his face. It was times like this he could pretend the world wasn't completely shit after all.

* * *

He sat on his bike in front of the Walgreens front door. It was grimy, but there was no mistaking the walkers pressed us against.

"Four?" Jimmy asked as he unclipped the knife from his belt.

Daryl shrugged. "Maybe more inside."

Glenn sighed heavily and leaned against the hood of the truck. "Well, how do we get in? If there are walkers and the doors are this dirty, chances are no one has been back there yet."

"Or maybe someone looted it when everythin' was goin' to hell, and there's nothin' in there but walkers," Daryl returned and hopped off the bike. "Wanna bust the glass or try the back door?"

"Bust the glass."

"The backdoor."

Jimmy and Glenn spoke at the same time.

Daryl started walking toward the back of the building. "Bosses orders," he said and motioned for Jimmy to follow him. He absolutely hated Daryl, but he followed along. "We'll go in this way and take 'em out."

"What if there are more?" Jimmy asked, calling back Daryl's own words.

"Then I guess we shut the door as fast as we can," he answered easily.

He tried to make everything seem so simple when it came to talking to Jimmy. He wanted him to think that he was always relaxed and ready. Not all tightly wound and a little scared like he was. Daryl didn't know why it was such a big deal to him, but it was.

After they broke the handle off the back door, they moved through the stock room. It was ransacked but deserted. They looked through the windows of the double doors that led into the store first, seeing nothing, they slowly entered the main floor.

"Go right," Jimmy said. "I'll go left, and we'll scan the aisles."

Daryl nodded and they parted ways, looking down each one with the wall behind them. The right side had him with his back to the pharmacy, and he could hear the growls before he saw the walker behind the counter. If he shot his bow, the walker would fall over and make noise, leading the others back on them, so he carefully walked forward and waited until the rotter leaned across the counter to grab him before slamming his knife into his temple.

He caught the weight of his shoulders and lowered him to the counter.

"It's just those four," Jimmy said from behind him.

"Let's get 'em, and let Glenn in then."

Opening the front doors was much easier than opening the back door. Glenn ended up squeezing through the narrow gap they made with three garbage shacks in his hands. "Meds. Anything you can find. Bandages, antibiotics, rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide. Shampoo, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes."

Daryl looked to Glenn and smirked, getting his feet planted and ready to go. "Condoms."

Then he took off running toward the aisle with the sign "Family Planning" above it, listening to Glenn's feet hit the tile floors behind him. There was a knocked over shelf at the entrance to the aisle and Daryl kept moving as fast as he could and at the last moment, dropped to the floor and slide under the shelving.

He was laughing hard and he scooped boxes into his bag. Surprisingly, there were plenty. During all the looting people tended to grab the weirdest shit with their and booze, and he hadn't ever seen a store like this that was so untouched.

Someone must have locked it up to start then the walkers kept people away. Maybe even being in a bigger town had kept people out.

"Y'all are fuckin' immature," Jimmy called out from a couple aisles over. "We need important shit."

"This is important to me," Daryl said through a silent laugh. "We know how much they mean to Glenn."

Jimmy failed to hold back a laugh at that. "Don't horde 'em, Dixon. We don't need a mini Maggie runnin' around. I remember her when she was a girl. A holy fuckin' terror is what she was."

Glenn rounded the aisle from the open side and fake laughed. "You two are so funny."

Daryl left him with plenty more to choose from and went to the pharmacy to gather actual medicine that Hershel would put in their stockpile. The prison infirmary had been destroyed, but they managed to save some stuff. It looked like they had tried to treat a lot of people with the antibiotics there, but nothing worked, and they knew now that nothing would ever be able to fight the fever.

They made several trips in and out, loading down the bed with all sorts of good supplies and baby stuff from the lone baby aisle.

"That was really easy," Glenn admitted as they looked at the cracked open from door of the now scavenged store. "We can go home now with just that one stop."

"Sounds like a really good day to me. Longer we stay out, the more they worry," Daryl said.

"Not about me," Jimmy said with a huff.

"Oh, fuck off," Daryl muttered. "None of that woe-is-me bullshit. They care. Ya know they do."

Jimmy looked away. "Shut the fuck up, Dixon."

He got back on his bike as they opened their truck doors so they could leave. Daryl was just about to start up the bike when a gunshot popped and there was a muted scream around the corner.

They all turned and looked as a black woman stumbled into the parking lot, holding her thigh and looking over her shoulder.

When she caught sight of them, she stopped and looked from side-to-side. Daryl knew that look, she thought she was trapped.

"C'mon!" Jimmy yelled. "Get in the truck!"

Daryl stepped off the bike and took off across the parking lot for her with his bow drawn. "Someone chasin' ya?"

"Don't touch me," she said and pulled away from his hand, almost falling over.

"Listen, lady, I'm just tryin' to help ya."

She started to collapse and he dropped his bow and caught her.

"What the fuck are ya doin' out here, baby brother?" Merle's voice startled him and he almost lost his grip on the woman who was now unconscious in his arms.

"Merle?" Daryl looked over his brother, his right hand was missing and in its place was a knife. "What the hell happened to your hand? Did ya just shoot her?"

His brother shrugged and tucked the gun into the back of his jeans. "It's a long story. Why the hell are ya away from Locust Grove."

"It's a long story," Daryl muttered.

"I ain't got nothin' but time. Far as I'm concerned that bastard that sent me out chasin' this crazy bitch can think we both got taken down by rotters."

Daryl could feel Jimmy and Glenn walk up slowly. "This is my brother, Merle," he said his voice rough. Merle wouldn't do well with these new people.

"Ya done made friends with a Chink and an altar boy?" Merle kicked his foot. "Ya turn queer on me?"

"Help me get her up," he said to Glenn. "We'll take her back with us, and Hershel can fix her up."

"I'm Korean, by the way," Glenn said with a tilt of his head.

"I ain't Catholic," Jimmy added as he gripped the woman under her arms.

"Like I give a shit," Merle said and started walking toward Daryl's bike. "Betcha I can still ride this even with one hand."

He opened his mouth to tell him to back off, but nothing came out, and he felt himself getting smaller.

"Your brother's a fuckin' asshole," Jimmy said. "Grab her feet."

"Yeah," Daryl said with a nod. "He is."

"Well, this'll end well." Glenn let out a heavy sigh. "Let's get back to the prison and work it out from there."

Daryl watched his brother start the bike and laugh wildly as he took off around the parking lot. He hadn't realized it until this moment, but he hadn't missed his brother all that much after all.


	22. Chapter 22

Ch. 22

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I love to read your thoughts.

Have a Merry Christmas!

* * *

The roar of a motorcycle brought her out of the cellblock with Judith. Beth hated it when he left without her, but she knew he was being careful out there.

When she saw the bike roll to a stop a few feet from her, she cringed back. The man had to be in his early thirties, he was dirty and wearing a cut off leather vest. His right hand was a metal prosthetic with a huge knife duck taped to the end. His eyes scanned the group that had assembled outside, and he just started laughing.

Beth looked over at Rick who had a hand on his waist, and she wondered if he was missing having his gun on him. Her sister didn't have that problem and pulled hers, pointing it his way.

They all looked to the truck when Daryl stepped from the passenger side. "We need help," he said. "Woman got shot and we brought her back."

"T-Dog and Oscar can carry her in," Hershel said and nodded to the cellblock door. Both men immediately went into motion. "Before I do anythin', I need y'all to tell me what the hell is goin' on, and just who the hell this is."

Beth watched in horror as the man walked over to Daryl and slung his arm around his shoulders. "This is my baby brother, old man. Ain't ya got room for family in this big prison of yours?"

Daryl was motionless, staring through everyone.

"That depends."

"On what?" Merle asked with a smirk.

"How'd that woman get shot, and where've ya been?" Hershel took a step forward.

Merle's smile dimmed. "I shot her 'cause the man that leads a community about forty minutes away told me to. She was askin' too many questions."

Rick moved up beside Hershel. "And how many other people asked too many questions that ya had to go and take care of?"

He pushed away from Daryl and held his hands up. "Ya got me. I'm muscle for hire. A man's gotta earn his keep."

Beth swallowed hard. This man wasn't a good person. He wasn't like Daryl at all, and she had no idea how Daryl managed to survive him.

"Beth," her daddy said, pulling her away from staring at Merle and Daryl. "Go inside with Maggie and Carol. Start preppin' the wound and the bandages."

She knew it had more to do with getting them out of the way so Hershel and Rick could question Merle some more, but she didn't want to leave Daryl. She could tell just by looking at him that he was different. His back wasn't straight, his shoulders slumped in the weight of his brother's arm that got placed around them again. He didn't meet her eyes at all.

"Sure thing, daddy," she said and turned around.

"Y'all sure got plenty of ass around here," Merle joked.

"Don't say shit like that," Daryl said gruffly. "Act like ya got some fuckin' sense. These people decide whether ya stay or ya go."

"We can leave whenever we want," Merle said with a snort. "We don't need these uppity sonofabitches."

Beth closed the door before she could hear anything else. Truth be told, she didn't want to hear anymore. She hugged Judith and shook her head. Merle wouldn't fit in here unless something changed drastically.

Right now, she had more important things to attend to. She had a woman that had lost a lot of blood and needed help. She walked quickly to the table they had the woman on, and laid Judith down in her mail crate.

"What'd ya need me to do?" She asked Carol.

* * *

"I ain't goin' nowhere," Daryl said and took a step away from his brother. "Ya can stay here, though, if ya change your tune. We ain't gonna put up with this rowdy, dickbag act."

Merle looked at Daryl with a raised eyebrow. "What the fuck's gotten into you? Ya ain't no better than me, little brother."

"I'm tellin' how things are now. It's been a fuckin' year since I last saw your ass, Merle. Ya don't know me no more."

There was a strained silence before Rick asked, "What's this about a community near here?"

Merle seemed to like the change in direction because he turned toward Rick. "It's called Woodbury. Guy that runs it is a complete psycho. Goes by the Governor. It's a pretty nice setup, but he wanted this prison. Figured it would be too much trouble clearing it, though, so he stayed with Woodbury."

"Will he come here?" Hershel asked and looked down the driveway like he was expecting someone to come riding up at any moment.

"I don't know. He ain't exactly sane. He could decide on a whim to come out this way tomorrow or he could never think of this place again."

"So we should go see him then. Check it out." Rick nodded to his own words.

"Are ya deaf? Ya don't want nothin' to do with this guy. As long as he doesn't know y'all are here, you're safe. If he shows up, ya deal with it then. Curiosity killed the fuckin' cat, ya know?"

"How'd ya wind up with him?" Daryl asked then started chewing on his thumbnail, a habit he had slowly been doing away with.

"I ran into this group of assholes, and when I was ready to leave, I figured I'd just rob 'em, ya know?" He looked at the others around him but no one seemed to encourage that thought. "Anyway, I got caught and they cut off my hand. They were all 'old school' justice and that bullshit. I managed to burn it and stop the bleedin' after they left me, but I wasn't in any condition to get around. I ended up passed out right outside Woodbury and some of his men found me and brought me in.

"He told me I could leave as soon as I was ready, but the longer I was there, the less I started to believe him. People who wanted to leave always just disappeared durin' the night or he'd make a big show of lettin' 'em go out the front gate only for a search team to find them bein' eaten by walkers. He was all about instillin' fear, and I wasn't particularly keen on dyin'."

"So, what?" Daryl scoffed. "Ya became his bitch?"

"Fuck you. I ain't nobody's bitch."

"Sure as fuck sounds like it. If he's so damn bad, why not shoot him in the fuckin' face?" Merle didn't answer; instead, he stared down Daryl. "It's 'cause ya liked doin' the things he wanted ya to do. Ya let yourself believe it was so ya could survive, but we both know, ya've always liked hurtin' people."

"Somebody done went and fucked with your head," Merle said. "I don't wanna cause no trouble, okay? Yeah, I'm a dick, but I was on his shit list anyway. It was just a matter of time before he sent me on a trip that I wasn't supposed to come back from."

Hershel cut in before Daryl could respond. "What's the woman got to do with things?"

Merle shrugged. "She was real sick and this other bitch drug her ass to the gate, lookin' for help. She got better and wanted to leave, but the other chick didn't wanna go. That woman in there, Michonne, is one of the deadliest people I've ever met. She's a fuckin' ninja with that sword of hers."

"So the Governor wanted you to kill her 'cause she had the same suspicions that you did, but didn't act on?" Rick asked.

"Yeah, basically. We killed a bunch of National Guard troops a week ago for their shit, and she knew what we'd done. Everyone else bought the story that rotters had eaten them. When she took off, he sent me after her. She's a loose end with a personal vendetta."

"Personal vendetta?" Glenn asked, finally participating in the conversation.

"Yeah, apparently her and this woman, Andrea, had been together for a really long time, and then as soon as the Governor pulls back the sheets, Michonne got left out in the cold. She wants to prove that he's a killer to Andrea, and that she fucked her over for a somebody that was evil."

"You sure do know an awful lot," Rick said and tilted his head to the side, studying Merle. "Don't mind killin' innocents either apparently."

"I listen," he said. "It's how ya find someone's weakness, and once ya find that, ya own 'em." Merle ignored the last part of what Rick had said.

"Well, what's his weakness then?" Daryl asked, ignoring the fact his thoughts were so in line with Merle's on that one subject.

"That's the thing. I never got a read on him. He changes women nearly every week, he don't have any family alive. If Woodbury burned to the ground tomorrow, he'd just find a new place to set up with him at the helm." Merle shrugged. "That's what makes him dangerous."

"Will he come lookin' for ya?"

"Nah," Merle shook his head. "He'll send people to look for her, though. He'll think she killed me."

Rick looked over Daryl, Glenn, and Jimmy. "Well, you three got everythin' on the lists?"

"Yeah," Jimmy said. "All in one store."

"Good," he said. "Ya also brought back a target."

"Nobody's gonna find her here." Daryl sighed. "We were in a town thirty minutes away and can't nobody track a vehicle down on foot."

"Merle said he already likes the prison. Who's to say he won't come to check in on it?"

"An asteroid might crash into the Earth tomorrow, Rick," Hershel said. "We can't make a plan based on a hypothetical situation."

"I got those woods rigged up, too," Daryl said. "Anyone comes through, we'll know about it."

They created a small circle now, leaving Merle out behind Daryl. "I don't want Beth outside the fence without ya," Hershel said and nodded at him. "In fact, no one needs to go out alone."

"She'll understand. She's hard-headed not stupid."

"Okay, so more watches?" Rick asked and looked at Daryl.

"Our watch is twenty-four, seven as it is." He turned to Jimmy. "How do the fences stand?"

"Solid," Jimmy answered. "There's a questionable area in the back. It'd be better if there was a car to pull in front of it."

"I'll find ya a car," Daryl said.

Rick turned to Glenn. "Runs done for awhile?"

"Yeah, this was our last big one. When the garden comes in, we'll have a lot more flexibility on runs."

"No one goes anywhere alone," Rick said with force. "He might never show up, but if he does, we'll be ready."

They all seemed to agree and started backing away, as Hershel said, "I'll go check on Michonne. Clean shot, Daryl?"

"Yes, sir. Looked through and through to me," he answered.

"Good. That's really good." He turned and walked toward the cellblock.

Glenn and Jimmy went to unload the truck, and Rick stood there, looking between him and Merle.

"Ya trust him?" Rick asked to Daryl.

Daryl looked at his brother and held his stare. Merle seemed to straighten up and glare at him. "He won't fuck us over, but he's not gonna be easy to live with."

"Do ya trust him around my daughter?" Rick asked, his voice more serious than Daryl had heard it in a while.

"He won't hurt her." Daryl knew that without a doubt. "He just needs time to get used to bein' with normal people."

"I'm standin' right fuckin' here." Anger tinged Merle's words. "I ain't gonna hurt none of y'all. If I don't like it here, I'll leave. Don't need y'all and definitely don't need my dumb as shit baby brother vouchin' for me."

Rick leaned his head to catch Merle's stare. "That baby brother is the only reason you're not already out the gate—or dead."

"Me bein' here don't make no difference. You're already gonna lose this place," Merle said. "A place like this, you'll have to kill for eventually. Governor might be crazy, but he knows the score. Y'all don't."

"He's your responsibility," Rick said to Daryl. "Keep him in line."

"Fuck you!" Merle hollered to Rick's retreating form. "And fuck you, too," he said to Daryl. "I don't need no babysitter."

"I ain't your babysitter," Daryl said and took a step back. "Consider me your warden."

That made him smirk as he took in Merle's rage. For the first time in his life, Merle had no words, but Daryl could see the steam practically coming from his ears.

At that moment, the door opened, and Beth called out his name. "Can ya come here?"

"Sure thing, girl," he said and started walking toward her.

He knew Merle put it together as soon as he reached Beth because he had a shit-eating grin on his face and wiggled his eyebrows. His anger changed to goading in a split second.

"Well, well, well," his brother said right before the door to the prison closed behind him.

* * *

"She's gonna be fine," Hershel said as he sewed up Michonne's leg.

The woman winced with every pull of the needle but didn't make a sound. She didn't want any of them touching her, and since she woke up, she had been scanning the room. Beth figured she was looking for the exits, but there was no way she was running on that leg anytime soon.

She had been really mad when she saw that her sword was gone, but Maggie had told her that she could have it back as soon as her leg was stitched and they were sure she wasn't going to try and cut all their heads off.

Seeing the baby had helped a lot. Beth wondered if Judith's health and happiness were signs to her that they were decent people.

"What's your plan after ya heal?" Rick asked, seemingly stepping back up in an instant.

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here," she said. "As soon as I'm able, I'm going to go see a man about a girl."

Beth's eyes shifted to Daryl who was standing beside her now. She knew he'd want to hear whatever Michonne was going to say which was why she went outside and got him. She still didn't like Merle Dixon, but she loved Daryl. There was a bad apple in every bunch, so she couldn't hold it against him. Not that she ever would.

"A girl? This Andrea woman?" Daryl asked.

"Andrea?" The woman scoffed. "No. She made her choice. I'm going to put his daughter out of her misery."

"What?" Carol asked in a strange, strangled voice.

Michonne looked at Carol and there seemed to be something that passed between them because Michonne said, "She's a walker. He keeps her locked up in a private room in his apartment. I had to run because he found me there. I was about to end her suffering when he found me. We fought and I couldn't kill her and still get away from him. I took out one of his eyes on my way out, though."

"Oh my God." Carol closed her eyes and placed her hand over her mouth.

"If ya go back and get caught, ya can't tell him about this place," Rick told her from across the room.

"I don't plan on getting caught, but if I do, I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of saying anything at all."

As soon as her daddy was done with the stitches, Michonne swung her legs off the side of the table. "I don't want to, but can I stay here for a few days. Just until I can run."

Merle choose that moment to come inside the room, and Michonne's eyes widened and she reached over her shoulder where Beth assumed she always kept her sword.

"Calm your tits, Nubian Queen," Merle said in a bored tone. "I found my brother." He pointed at Daryl. "I ain't here on anybody's business no more."

"I still want to kill you," she told him.

"Get in line," he told her and walked straight through and into the cellblock. "When's dinner?"

Rick looked at Daryl and he shrugged.

"What?" Beth asked loudly. "He can't control his brother anymore than I can control Maggie. Don't give him that look."

Beth could hear Merle's laughter from down the cellblock and Rick didn't look impressed by her outburst.

"He's my brother," Daryl told her. "It's my job to smack him on the back of the head from time to time."

"That's bullshit," Beth said.

"It is what it is." He tugged his crossbow a little high over his shoulder. "Merle don't ever stay nowhere long. He'll run off again. Just give it time."

"The question is, where will he run off to?" Rick asked and went into his cell on the bottom level.

Beth leaned against Daryl's shoulder. "I don't like him at all. You're nothin' like him, Daryl."

He grunted the said, "He's older. More set in his ways, I guess."

"Maybe so."

They stood there while Hershel gathered up his medical bag, and Michonne laid back on the table she'd been stitched up on. Maggie had taken Judith with Carol into kitchen, and as far as she knew, everyone else was either putting up the stuff from the run or on watch.

She was about to suggest they go out and check the snares when Rick came out of his cell, his holster around his hips with his Colt right where it always used to be. He hadn't worn that since Lori's death, and it was equal parts relief and nervousness that flooded her system.

With Rick back, that could mean a lot of things. It might make how they divvied out work awkward if he wanted to change things. It could potentially put him at odds with Daryl again.

She was worried, but then Rick looked between Daryl and Hershel and said something she wasn't expecting at all.

"I'd like to be put in the rotation for watch, and I want to put an idea to the group," he paused and seemed to gather his thoughts. "I think this Woodbury place is a bad thing, and I know it ain't none of our business really, but we should know some more. Do a little recon. I'd like for us to think about sending out a party to get a lay of the land. Make Merle lead the way, earn his spot here."

Daryl chewed on his bottom lip then nodded. "We'll put it to a vote," he said gruffly.

"I agree," Hershel added. "At dinner, we'll call for a vote."

Beth's eyes darted to Michonne, and she seemed so stunned and curious. She wondered how long she had been on her own and what would cause her to be so untrusting. She fiddled with the bracelets on her wrist and realized that everyone had a story to tell, but most didn't want to tell them.

* * *

A/N: This will be the last update until after New Years. I've had a lot of a family things happening this past week that have taken me away from my writing time, and I'm needing to focus on helping take care of my grandpa right now who is seriously ill. Hopefully, things will get better and I'll be back to updating regularly once the holidays have passed and he is back home.

Thank you so much for all your support for my stories. It means so, so much to me, and I'm sorry for the delay in posting the rest of the story.


	23. Chapter 23

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Also, for the sweet comments about my grandpa. He's back home and just as stubborn as ever, so we're very happy about that.

Thanks to Matcha, my writing app, I was able to finish the story on my phone basically, so I'll be updating twice a week until complete.

This story is 26 chapters + an epilogue.

* * *

During dinner that evening, Beth sat beside Daryl with Merle on the other side of him. He kept looking her way and smirking, seeming to be biding his time to say something to her.

She didn't want him to be crude, but she had a feeling it was coming, and she wondered how Daryl would respond to that. Probably not good, but judging by how he seemed to shy away from his brother, he might let him do it.

It was worrying her to no end, but as dinner wrapped up and Hershel stood up and told them Rick's suggestion to the group, including it being a way for Merle to earn their trust, she knew that his attention was turned from her and Daryl to Rick.

"Horseshit," Merle said. "I ain't gonna prove anythin' to y'all. Just told ya he was gonna kill me sooner or later, and y'all wanna put me the head of this mission. Fuck that."

"It ain't really an option," Rick said from across the table. "It's just part of your initiation, I guess."

"Oh yeah?" Merle sneered. "What the fuck did my brother do besides bang jailbait to get y'all to accept him."

Daryl dropped his fork. "Watch your fuckin' mouth, Merle."

"What?" He raised his voice. "I'm sick of this shit."

"You've been here three hours tops, and you're already overstaying your welcome," Michonne said from her spot on the stairs. "I'm surprised you lasted that long." She looked at Hershel. "I'll lead you there, but I'm going to kill him. Woodbury will be lost until someone fills that leadership void. It could very well be Andrea, but who knows what they'll do."

"You could die," Daryl told her. "He could kill ya."

Michonne shrugged. "I have to try. If I fail, one of you will have to do it because he won't stop being as vicious as he is." She paused and looked at Merle. "I know about your brother and the things that's he's been a part of, too."

"I fuckin' know what I done," Merle said. "I already told 'em about the troops."

They stared each other down for a long while before Michonne looked to Rick. "I'll show you the way."

Rick looked to Hershel, who cleared his throat. "Who votes for Michonne to lead a group to Woodbury for a recon mission? She'll go through to try and deal with the Governor, but our people won't engage." He sighed. "Not yet, at least."

Slowly hands went up all around the room.

"Any volunteers?" Hershel asked.

Daryl flicked his fingers up to where Hershel could see. Jimmy nodded. Rick grunted in acknowledgement.

"That'll do then. Whenever Michonne is healed, y'all can head out."

* * *

Once the dishes were cleaned, everyone went to their cells while Oscar and Axel took first watch. Beth and Daryl had second watch, so they went to their cell fast.

Daryl was mostly trying to avoid Merle, but his brother sat inside their cell, waiting for them to get there.

"She's a pretty one, I'll give ya that. Not one to lose your balls over, though."

"Merle." Daryl's voice held a warning, but his brother ignored it.

"Must have a real good pussy." Merle laughed as Daryl's fist hit his jaw. "Such a quick temper, baby brother."

"Fuck you," Daryl said and pushed Beth toward the door.

"I ain't gonna hurt her. I just wanted to talk to ya about Woodbury."

Daryl looked at Beth then back to Merle. "What about it?"

If it was something worth mentioning, he needed to know. Woodbury sounded like a nice place with a seedy underbelly that couldn't be seen right away. If this Governor was as evil as Merle and Michonne thought, chances were they'd either get caught or Michonne would fail and he'd eventually find them.

"It's pretty well watched except for one alleyway. Most of 'em on watch don't go down there because it's bricked up before the sidewalk, so if something did get in, it'd get stuck. There's a door down there, though. It's got a lock, but," he held up a key ring, "if ya got this, ya can slip right in. Right side building is empty. Mostly used as storage space, but if ya go at night, which would be stupid if ya didn't, no one will find ya. From there, ya can look around downtown and Michonne can slip out toward the Governor's place."

Daryl took the key ring. "Which one?"

"Gold one," he said and Daryl caught the only gold on between his fingers. "Once she fucks shit up, ya won't have long to get out. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already waitin' for her to come back. Probably sent me after her just so she could kill me."

"What'd ya do to make him hate ya so much?" Beth asked from Daryl's side.

Merle shrugged. "I ain't exactly good about takin' directions. Don't like it when people order me around."

"I wouldn't have guessed that," she said quietly and sat down on the bottom bunk. Beth pulled off her boots. "I think the rest can wait until tomorrow. We've got second watch, and we're tired."

Merle laughed and stood up. "See ya in the mornin', blondie."

He didn't say goodnight to Daryl, but Daryl didn't really expect him to anyway. He sighed heavily and sat beside Beth.

"Today's been somethin' else," he said and laid back.

"Sure has."

"Got some stuff. Glenn put it under the bunk." A smile stretched across his face despite everything, and when Beth bent forward to see what it was, it somehow got wider.

"Oh my," she said then started laughing. "You racked up."

"Gotta be prepared," he said and threw an arm over his eyes.

"I love you," she whispered and laid beside him. "Let's turn the right way and get some rest."

He moved without saying anything and curled around her. "Think this is good idea?" he asked.

"Don't know. I don't want ya goin', but honestly, if anyone can take care of themselves, it's y'all three."

He nodded. "I didn't expect this to light a fire under Rick's ass so fast."

"Me neither, but it's not a bad thing. He needed a wake up call, and we couldn't be all that Judith knew."

Daryl hummed and nuzzled the back of her neck. He'd miss taking care of her as much as he had, but she was right. That wasn't his job.

He squeezed her tighter. "Love ya, girl."

She turned slightly and kissed his shoulder. "Night."

* * *

The next couple of days passed in an awkward standoff between everyone and Merle Dixon. He didn't make it easy to like him or even want to be around him.

He was full of smartass comments and crude remarks. He'd even got her daddy spitting mad, and that hadn't happened in years.

Daryl tried to pull him aside, but it honestly didn't seem like Merle cared all that much. He liked to press everyone's buttons and see where they'd break. It was what Daryl did but in a much more obvious way.

Michonne got better, but it would still be another day or so before she was ready to really move.

Beth liked talking to her and made a point to visit with her a couple of times a day. She was quiet and standoffish at first, but slowly, she was warming up to them. Beth doubted she'd ever tell her story, and that was fine.

"How're ya feelin' today?" Beth asked as she stood outside her cell.

"Good as can be expected. Merle still around?" Michonne asked and stood up, wincing as she put weight on her injured leg.

"Yup and causin' trouble. Him and Daryl went huntin'."

"I don't see how they're related at all," she muttered and slung her sword—katana—Beth kept reminding herself, over her shoulder.

"He and Daryl had a hard life. Merle was in it for longer, so I think that had a lot to do with how he is now."

Michonne pinned Beth with her stare. "People can change."

"Yeah," Beth agreed. "Sometimes it just takes a little longer, and he's never had a any good influences. I'm surprised Daryl is as kind as he is."

Michonne made a small noise and started hobbling forward. "I'll never defend Merle Dixon."

"I know that, and I know why." Beth let her pass and they walked down to the tables. "Daddy wants to look at your wound. Make sure there's no infection."

"I'll be right here," she said and took a seat.

Beth knew that Michonne was partially right about Merle, but she couldn't help but wonder what the Dixon boys would have been like had they not had the father they did. What would have happened to her if he daddy had stayed a drunk? Would he have hit her? Would she be different?"

Probably so.

The more she was around Merle, the more she found herself seeing little bits of Daryl in his behavior, but he always covered them back up as soon as he showed them.

Instead of her hunting with Daryl that day, Merle had gone with him. Beth had been hurt over the decision to take Merle, but she knew that Daryl wasn't trying to make her upset. He only wanted to talk to Merle away from everyone else. Daryl wanted to try and set him straight.

Beth didn't know how likely that was to happen on a small hunting trip, but Daryl was going to try.

After her daddy looked at Michonne's leg, the woman went to the kitchen for dinner and Beth went outside to wait for Daryl.

She sat at the picnic table while Axel and Carol stood off to the side talking quietly. Beth liked seeing that relationship grow. Axel was funny and seemed to be the only person to make Carol smile all that much.

Pretty soon it had grown dark, and she was all alone outside.

Beth refused to believe that anything had happened to them. They were both strong, and Merle loved his brother. He wouldn't hurt him.

So, she waited, eyes on the fence for their return.

* * *

They had been tracking a deer through the woods for hours before they had a clean shot. Daryl took it and downed the doe in a single shot.

Merle whistled as the followed after it. "Good shot. Better than when I left ya."

He had been making little comments like that all afternoon about how Daryl had changed or was doing things differently now. Daryl didn't respond, and he never gave him the satisfaction of seeing him get pissed when he talked about Beth except for that first night.

"Had lots of practice since then," Daryl said and pulled the bolt from the deer. "We got a long way to carry her back."

"Yeah, that's gonna be a bitch."

"Sure is," Daryl agreed and sighed.

They got a sturdy branch and some rope before tying the deer's legs over it. Then they hauled her back with it on their shoulders.

"Ya know, Woodbury ain't gonna be a simple in and out, right?" Merle asked when they were about halfway back.

It was the first time he had mentioned Woodbury all day, and Daryl had been waiting for it.

"I know," he said and adjusted the branch on his shoulder. The sky was getting darker and they needed to move before they got caught navigating the woods at night. "Still, we should check it out."

"I told ya what's there."

"If Michonne can't kill him, then we might need to. Guy like that don't need to live as it is."

"I'm just as bad," Merle said, his voice rough.

"No, ya ain't. You can turn all that around. Ya just gotta stop actin' like our old man and start actin' like your own person."

"That what you did? Started actin' like a neutered piece of shit?"

Daryl shook his head. "I can't talk to ya about anythin' without ya sayin' I've gone soft. It ain't soft, man. It's smart. No one can survive alone anymore and bein' with people ain't so bad."

"That girl tell ya that?" Merle sounded mean and mad. "She wouldn't be with ya before this ended, I guarantee ya that."

Daryl swallowed hard and nodded. "Nah, she wouldn't. I'd have followed ya around until I was just as bitter as you are then there'd be no savin' me. That girl loves me, and I love her. She saved my life," he told his brother.

Merle had nothing to say to that and the walked the rest of the way back to the prison in complete silence.

Beth was the one to open the gate, and when they made it through, she hugged his side. "Ya had me worried."

"Nothin' to worry about," he said and Merle dropped the deer before moving to the cellblock door. He slammed it behind him and Daryl gave her a small smile. "I tell ya today that I love ya?"

Beth shook her head.

"Well, I do," he said quietly. "I'm sorry it took me so long to tell ya."

"Just 'cause ya didn't say it, didn't mean I didn't know." Her smile was bright.

Daryl hugged her and breathed in deeply. His chest hurt because he was happy and his brother wasn't. He felt selfish, but he would never turn her away.

"I gotta clean this before we go in."

"I'll stay with ya," she said and took a set against the prison wall. "Maggie and Glenn are on watch tonight with Rick and Carl takin' second shift, so we can sleep late tomorrow."

"Good," he said and started cutting into the deer. "Shouldn't be too much longer before we head to Woodbury."

Beth sat in silence for a few seconds. "Yeah, I guess so."

He knew she was worried about that and so was he, but there wasn't another option. A man like that would come knocking one day, and they couldn't let it be a sneak attack. He wouldn't be surprised if Rick wanted to go in with Michonne once they got there.

That was something he wouldn't think about, though.

He hadn't made up his mind yet if he'd follow him or if he'd stay behind and keep a look out. Going into someone's home like that never ended well, and he didn't figure people would be more accepting at the end of the world.

He went back to work as Beth sang softly beside him. Her voice relaxed him, and it wasn't long before all thoughts of Woodbury and the Governor left his mind.

* * *

"We'll drive until we're a little ways out then we'll walk the rest of the way," Rick said the next day.

They weren't leaving until the following morning, but he felt it was necessary to plan ahead and Daryl knew he was right. Rick might be a little crazy sometimes, but he knew what he was doing for the most part.

"We stay inside this building and wait for Michonne to come back," he continued. "It's her mission, and we're just there to see what Woodbury is like defense wise. Merle says this building is used for storage, is that right, Michonne?"

She nodded. "It was when I was there, and that was only a few days ago. I doubt it changed since."

"Okay, good. We go in, we stay quiet. You do what ya need to do then come back if ya want."

Michonne shifted uncomfortably. "I haven't decided what I'm going to do yet.

He nodded. "Well, you're welcome to stay. You're an asset."

Rick looked to Daryl and Jimmy. "Anythin' else we need to talk about?" They both shook their heads. "Glad to see y'all have come a long way since we first met."

"Can't stay pissed forever," Jimmy admitted.

"Sure ya can," Daryl said and looked over at him.

"There was no point," he told Daryl, looking him square in the eye. "I'm good. I don't like ya, but I respect ya."

Daryl grunted and looked away. "Guess I feel the same."

He could feel Michonne's eyes on him, but he didn't look up. She didn't need to know what went on there, and she wasn't the type to ask.

Rick tapped the table with fist. "We leave right before sundown tomorrow night. Make sure your stations are all taken care of."

Daryl didn't like that Rick just assumed the leadership position, but he knew it was coming. Just like he always knew that Judith wouldn't be his responsibility forever. Rick would step back up, but they all had their jobs to do.

He cracked his neck and went to find Beth. They need to check snares and set some new ones. Going to Woodbury was tomorrow, but his people needed to eat today.

* * *

Beth lay beside Daryl as he slept later that night—or it might have been early morning. Her stomach twisted into knots.

She reached over and softly ran her fingers through his hair. He moved a little and she pulled away so he wouldn't wake up. He needed all the rest he could get. Beth continued to stare into the dark and pretended everything would be fine.

* * *

Daryl kissed her goodbye and hopped into a truck with Rick, Jimmy, and Michonne. His brother hadn't come out to see them off, but he hadn't figured he would. Hell, if they made it back, Merle might already be gone again. He was one to look out for himself, and if things went south with Woodbury, the Governor might show up at the prison. Beth and the others knew to run, though. They had cars ready to go and a meeting place established for Daryl and the others to find them at if they were alive.

The trees passed by in a blur at first, but soon the sun sank and darkness covered the road.

"We're about a mile out," Michonne said. "Pull into the woods."

Rick did as she said and cut the engine. "We go and we look," he said.

"And what do we do if we see somethin' we don't like?" Daryl asked, absently picking at his thumbnail.

"We'll have to make a decision at the time, I guess," Rick said.

"You run," Michonne said after that. "It doesn't matter what you see there as long as you get back to the prison. If he catches one of you, he'll find out a way to get you to talk then everyone will be in danger."

Jimmy finally spoke up at that. "If that happens, no one say a word. He'll just kill ya anyway."

"He will, but you'd be surprised at what you say when you're in pain," Daryl said without thinking. He was thankful for the darkness so they couldn't see the embarrassment and shame written on his face. "Let's go."

Nothing more was said, and Michonne led the way into what was sure to be a complete clusterfuck.


	24. Chapter 24

Ch. 24

Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

The town was extremely well lit. Daryl could make it out from a distance, and he wanted to ask if they had generators, but soon noticed it was torches lining metal walls that closed off the central section of town.

There were guards, not nearly as many as he had imagined, but they had guns, and Daryl assumed they were trained to use them.

"This way," Michonne whispered and nodded her head to the left side of the town.

They followed dutifully behind her, keeping an eye out for people and walkers. Just like Merle said, there was a portion of fencing that was open enough for someone to squeeze through, but it was so isolated, no one would find it to be a threat.

One-by-one, they went through the opening and into the building that Daryl held the key for.

It was storage still. Mostly old shit they pulled from the houses. Family pictures, lots of dishes and cooking stuff, bedding. It must have been where they outfitted their new occupants before setting them up in their own space.

"His apartment is a block down on the left. It's the second floor." Michonne turned and in the light from the nearest window he saw the determination in her eyes. "Don't wait for me and don't come to find me."

He nodded and looked away. Daryl wasn't going to be the person to tell her what to do or not to do. This was her rodeo, he was just there to get a lay of the land and maybe steal a nice comforter now that the opportunity was there. He had no plans on getting involved in a dispute that wasn't his.

Rick's nod was a lot slower to come than his or Jimmy's. That bad feeling started to rise up from the pit of his stomach again, but he ignored it.

Without a backwards glance, she slipped out the front door and closed it silently behind her.

"She'll be fine," Jimmy said. "She a fuckin' badass with that sword."

Daryl hummed and looked out the window as discreetly as he could. A center lane of green grass divided Main Street and there were shops along either side of the street and further back, a few houses. He could tell some of the shops had been converted into apartments, and noticed rooftops gardens along a few buildings.

It really was a nice setup, and he couldn't think of one reason why they would trade this for the prison. It was could and drafty as fuck in winter, and he imagined it'd be like a fucking oven in the summer. They had plenty of land to grow stuff on, but they were out in the open for the most part. At least Woodbury had vantage points. Trees surrounded the prison, and if someone wanted, they could sneak up on the gates before they realized what was happening.

Leaving Woodbury for the prison didn't make sense at all. Even with the fences they had, strategically it wasn't good positioning.

"It's nice," Rick said quietly. "Very cozy."

The sarcasm was thinly veiled and Daryl didn't play into it.

"Ya look like ya wanna take it," Jimmy said. His tone was wary, and Daryl nudged him a little. Jimmy met his eyes and Daryl shook his head slightly. If Rick was thinking something, he didn't need encouragement.

"Not right now," he said and his eyes darted over the street. "If Michonne takes him out, though, it might not be a bad place to try and integrate ourselves into."

"I'm ready to leave," Daryl said, not commenting on Rick's train of thought. "We've seen what we needed to see."

Him and Jimmy were moving toward the back of the room with Rick trailing behind, looking longingly at the door. They were outside in the alley, about to move through the open fencing, when they heard a gunshot.

All three of them turned toward the noise, waiting for more, but none came.

"He killed her," Jimmy's voice was nothing but breathe.

"She coulda done it," Daryl said.

Jimmy shook his head. "She wasn't really there to kill him, remember? She was just takin' care of the kid. I bet she got the girl, and he got her."

"He'd make it slow," Daryl said. "From what Merle said, he's not the type that would let her off easy."

"She could talk," Rick said and moved back toward the building door. "We have to make sure those loose ends are tied up."

"Our job was to take a look, we did. What happens to Michonne isn't our business," Jimmy said from his position by the fence opening.

"Your job is to back me up," Rick said and opened the door to the building.

"Who the hell are you?" Someone asked from inside.

Rick leveled his pistol, flashlight silencer attached, and shot the man directly between the eyes.

There was no shock to Daryl's system or maybe it was overrun by all the adrenaline. Seeing that man die hadn't thrown him off, seeing Rick take charge in that way hadn't surprised him, but their direction was definitely pissing him off. "This makes no sense," Daryl muttered. "This isn't our fight."

"It could be," Rick said.

"You're makin' it our fight." His voice was cold. "Ya got family back at the prison, Rick. I got family. Jimmy's got family. If we get out in that street, they won't let us leave. They'll think we're with her to kill him."

Several gunshots popped off at once in the street and he could hear people yelling now, searching.

"We have to leave," Jimmy said. "We can't stay."

As if on cue, someone hollered from above. "Over here!"

The man on the roof turned his weapon down on them, and Daryl tried to raise his bow, but the man pulled the trigger. The bullet grazed his shoulder, slicing it open, and he heard a gasp of shock from behind him where Jimmy was standing.

The man's eyes left Daryl's giving him enough time to get the arrow off and nail the man squarely in the chest. He turned to Jimmy as Rick shut the building door and moved fast toward him.

The wound was in Jimmy's right shoulder, and the bleeding was bad, but it was a clean shot.

"Don't puss out on me now, Jimbo. Can't haul your ass outta here like this." He slapped his cheek with a bloody hand, trying to get him to keep his eyes open. "We gotta get the fuck outta here and fast."

Rick ran past them and through the hole in the fence. "Hand him out," he ordered. "We gotta go. This was stupid. Dammit, this is my fault."

"Yeah, it is," Daryl said and pushed Jimmy's torso through the hole in the fence then bent down to lift his boots over. Once his body was completely through, Daryl put a foot outside the fence and started angling his crossbow to move through. His vest was caught and he tugged hard, hurting his shoulder even more.

"If you don't stop movin', I'll put a bullet in your back. I see you've already killed one of mine. Didn't hit his head either. No tellin' what could happen soon."

His eyes were wide with panic as he looked at Rick, who was backing away into the darkness with Jimmy. Daryl took a deep breath before mouthing, "Go," then he stepped back into the alleyway, closing the fence portion behind him.

"Why'd ya help her? Where's she runnin' off to now? Can't get too far with a bullet in her. I see we got you, too."

The pain in Daryl's arm flared up and he winced. "Don't know where she went," he said truthfully.

"Get him. Bring him down to the warehouse." The man had an eye patch and thick coat. "He tries anythin', make him wish he hadn't."

Daryl swallowed hard and waited.

This would keep them occupied while Rick got Jimmy away. This was the diversion they needed, and it was also the worst thing that could have happened because there was no way Beth would stay at the prison while he was here.

* * *

One thing could be said for the Governor, he was a fucking showman. He didn't beat him up looking for answers. No, he got under his skin. He talked about Michonne, and when that didn't get any reaction from him, he started talking about people in general.

Family.

Friends.

How hard it was to be alone in this world, and if he could just tell them where she ran to, that Daryl could walk away and make a new life somewhere. Or even stay in Woodbury.

He flattered him with how good a shot he was with his bow. How he must have been a hell of a hunter.

Daryl didn't crack, though, and that's when he tried alternative methods of getting him to talk. Never resorting to fists, though.

Hours passed in a dark room with walkers scratching at the walls opposite him. He had no idea how strong the walls were, but he was tied to a chair, there was no way he was getting out if something got in.

When that didn't work, they leaned that same chair back and placed a cloth over his face then poured water over him in what felt like a never-ending stream. Daryl couldn't breathe, his chest ached, his nose burned and his throat was raw from coughing.

"I don't know anythin'," he repeated, his voice so hoarse he barely recognized it. "Just met her. She'd been shot in the leg. Helped her out 'cause she was surrounded by rotters. She wanted to come back here, so I came, too."

"Where'd y'all stay while she healed? Looked pretty good runnin' to me."

"Anywhere that we could find. Houses, boarded up businesses."

"You gave her medicine." It was a loaded statement, but he nodded anyway. "Where'd ya get 'em?"

"Walgreens. It was untouched."

"Where?" He demanded.

"Newnan."

"Find it and clear it," he told a Mexican guy that was guarding the door. The man immediately left and he rolled his shoulders before pushing the chair back to sitting.

Daryl's teeth clicked together from the force of it. He groaned against the aches in his body.

"I don't believe ya when ya say that ya don't know where she went. You'll tell me." Daryl opened his eyes to look at the man in front of him. "If this is true, and ya just met this woman a few days ago, then why do ya care if ya tell me your base camps? She isn't anyone to you. You're protectin' somethin' with your life." The Governor shook his head and grinned. "That's valuable information you're withholdin'."

He turned and slammed the outer door shut behind him, leaving Daryl in darkness again. This time he shivered against his bindings and the water droplets fell from his hair.

* * *

Hours later, he jumped as the door crashed open. He must have fallen asleep or maybe passed out from exhaustion. Hours meant nothing, and he had no idea how long he'd been there now.

"Seems we have a small problem," the Governor said with a heavy sigh. "My men went to that drugstore and it had been picked over pretty well. Now, you said that it was untouched when you got there. You only had Michonne to take care of, but the pharmacy had a lot of things missin'. More than what was used for her was taken."

Daryl cleared his throat. "Coulda come in after me. I didn't exactly lock up."

"That's true. Someone could've." He walked across the room and shook his head. "I have this feelin' that you're not bein' entirely truthful with me. Hell, I realized on the way in here that I didn't even know your name."

"Daryl," he coughed out and immediately cringed at the pain.

"People around here call me the Governor. A nickname, I guess you could call it."

The man looked like he was going to start a speech, and Daryl didn't care to hear anymore. "I know I ain't leavin' this room alive," he spoke quietly. An image of Beth smiling at him the first time they got away from Locust Grove flashed through his head and his chest hurt but not from the torture he had endured. He shook it away and finished, "Ya done made up your mind about that the minute ya brought me down here. Ya can't let me go free 'cause I might come lookin' for vengeance like Michonne. Just do it. I ain't gonna beg ya. I ain't gonna tell ya jack shit either."

That got him to smirk like crazy. "So, there's somethin' to know then?"

He didn't know why he was feeling brave but he shrugged as much as he could. "Everyone's got a story. I got one. You got one about why ya left your little girl up there as a biter. We don't tell our stories, though."

Daryl watched as he tensed up when his daughter was mentioned, but it was brief and almost unnoticeable. He was good at the game he was playing. Much, much better than Daryl would ever be at it. He knew without a doubt when the next question flowed easily from his mouth, "You won't even tell me about Beth?"

Every muscle in Daryl's body tensed and his eyes went wide as he his heart hammered inside his chest. He didn't speak, though. He didn't trust himself not to stop once he got started. There was nothing but fire burning through his system.

"She seems like a sweet one. In her letter to me, she even wrote the word 'please'."

Daryl swallowed hard. "She'd never come here."

"No, that's stupid. That's not an even playing field, Daryl. You don't come into enemy territory. You don't let them have the advantage. You should know that by now." He stopped quickly, wiping his mouth and taking a calming breath after getting worked up. "We'll be meetin' at a neutral site."

Daryl leaned forward against his bindings. That Dixon rage was simmering in his gut and making him tremble. "You have no idea who you're fuckin' with."

The Governor laughed and smiled at Daryl. "No, son, you have no idea who you've fucked with."

* * *

The door opened again a little while later, but it wasn't the Governor that stepped through. It was blonde woman in her late thirties, not much older than Merle.

"Oh my God," she gasped and ran over to him. "I had no idea."

"Who the fuck are you?" Daryl asked pulling away as much as he could.

"Andrea Harrison," she said and began cutting at the ropes on his wrists.

"I know you," he growled. "You're with that motherfucker. Michonne said so. Get the fuck away. I ain't tellin' y'all shit."

Andrea stared at him in shock. "Michonne? You know her?"

"I do," he said. "I know you, too."

She huffed. "He didn't tell me she came back."

"Ya mean after he had her followed and damn near killed when he let her leave?"

"What?" She sat back on her knees.

"This stupid act ain't gonna work. Ya can't be around that guy for five minutes without knowing his off his fucking rocker, so don't play games with me."

"I'm not playing games," she insisted. "I found out he had a prisoner after he told me that the people that caused all that damage had gotten away."

"What damage?" Daryl asked.

"They set fire to the back half of town."

He snorted. "That's nice. Betcha had some walkers the last few days."

She shook her head. "It's only been a day and a half since the attack."

"Time sure does fuckin' fly when you're havin' fun, I guess," he mumbled. His eyes burned and he really needed to piss. His body hurt all over even though they hadn't beaten him. Yet, at least.

"Let me get you out of here," she said and went back to work on his wrists.

He let her do what she was doing. Daryl knew he probably couldn't get very far on his own right now after being in that same position for so long. "When's the meetin'?" He asked with a scratchy voice.

"What meetin'?"

"The one my people called for," he said and looked over her. She clearly wasn't in the inner circle no matter how close she was to the Governor.

"I don't know anything about a meeting," she told him as she set him free. "I only found out about you."

"He gone yet?" He asked and rubbed his raw wrists.

"Yes, he left." She nodded. "Fifteen minutes ago. Why?"

He didn't wait to answer her question; he walked to the door and peeked out. No one was on watch. "He take men with him?"

"Yeah, he said it was a supply run."

Daryl weaved his way in through a maze of sheet metal before opening up into an arena of sorts. There were four posts put up and a place for chains. There wasn't a single soul around, and even the birds seemed to have stopped singing.

"What the hell?"

"It's the fighting pit."

"Yeah, y'all are fuckin' civilized over here." He spit on the ground and turned away.

"I didn't say I liked it," she smarted off and followed after him. "If someone sees you, they'll kill you."

"No, they won't. I ain't gonna get seen." He stuck close to the buildings but it didn't matter. He could see the main gate and the two people stationed on top. That was all the Governor left behind.

Just a quick run, he must have told them.

In reality, he was going to kill a whole bunch of people or kill some and torture others for information.

He didn't know why Andrea was still following him as he went to burnt section of paneling, but when he kicked the siding away and slipped out, she went along, too.

"He took everyone with him. All the good shots and protectors. He's gonna massacre 'em," Daryl told her as he went deeper into the surrounding woods.

"It was a supply run, and he's going to be mad when he finds out what I've done."

"He's not gonna care at all. He don't give a shit about me or you, woman."

She followed after him in silence for the longest time before he found a car. He looked inside and found the keys still in the ignition. Daryl gave them a twist and the car roared to life. "I don't trust ya," he told her after he sighed with relief about the car. "Tell me somethin' true. Convince me it's okay for you to get in this car with me."

 _Point out your weakness_ , his inner Dixon taunted.

"He'll listen to me. When we find him, I can talk him down."

"You're delusional as fuck, lady. That man don't give two shits what you got to say." Daryl shook his head. "Tell me somethin' or your ass is walkin' back to Woodbury."

Andrea was quiet for a moment the said very quickly, "I had a sister. She loved mermaids. I got her a charm for her birthday, but she was bitten by a walker and died before I could give it to her."

He shook his head. "That's not good enough. Tell me somethin' dark, somethin' ya ain't proud of."

She stared him down for a long while before she cleared her throat. "I once helped a girl try and kill herself. I volunteered to sit with her because she was suicidal, but I left her there. I told her it was her decision, and no one should make it but her. She took a shard of glass to her wrist, but it wasn't deep enough to cause much damage.

"I said that she wanted to live because she didn't do it hard enough, but what kind of person leaves a teenage girl alone like that? A girl that just saw her mother and stepbrother come out of a barn as walkers. I tried to justify it to everyone else, but deep down, I've never justified it to me."

His heart skipped a beat and he held onto the door handle. What were the chances of two teenage girls in such a tiny area cutting their wrists after their momma and stepbrother died? Or some woman helping them get alone to even try? A woman named Andrea at that.

"What happened to the girl?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

"I don't know. The farm we were at fell, and I got separated from everyone else. I never found any of them again."

He nodded his head. _The farm fell_. "Her name?"

Andrea looked off into the woods and sighed. "Beth. Her name was, maybe still is, Beth Greene."

He hated this woman more now, but at the same time, there wasn't much he could do about it. There was one thing, though. "Go back to Woodbury. Ya don't belong with me."

She stood there, mouth hanging open, as he drove away. He'd tell the group about her, and if they wanted to go see her, they could, but the last thing anyone needed was some ghost popping back up and throwing everyone's game off.


	25. Chapter 25

Ch. 25

Part of this chapter takes place during the time Daryl is being held by the Governor.

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing!

* * *

"You left him there?" She screamed as Jimmy groaned from the table her daddy was working on him on.

Rick's shoulder's hunched a little and he raised his hands. "I screwed up."

"I'd say so, you stupid sonofabitch," Beth growled. "How the hell do we get him back?"

Her daddy cleared his throat, and Beth turned toward him. "Now, I know you're upset, but sweetheart, you're not a sailor."

Beth scoffed. "I'm not worried about what people think of me right now, daddy. I need to know what we're gonna do to get Daryl back. I'll go there myself if I have to."

Rick sighed. "We'll figure it out. They won't kill him. They think he's helpin' Michonne, that he knows where she's at. They'll keep him alive for awhile to try and get that information out of him."

"Ya mean they're gonna torture him," Beth said as plain as day. "Don't sugarcoat this to me, Rick. I might be young, but I'm far from a child. I know what people like this Governor do to people they want somethin' from that ain't willin' to give it. Daryl taught me all I know, and he's my best friend. I'll be damned if I just sit here and let him die."

Maggie came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Only then did Beth realize that angry tears had welled up in her eyes. They were mixed with ones of pure helplessness, too, but she tried to fight that feeling.

She had no idea what she would do if Daryl didn't come back. She was his, and he was hers. The thought of Daryl dying flittered through her mind, her stomach dropped and her throat closed up.

She couldn't let that happen, and she wasn't about to let Rick shrug and cut his losses. Michonne hadn't shown back up either, and as far as he was concerned, she was dead and Daryl would never get up Beth's location.

They were safe if they didn't go back.

"I don't belong here," Merle's voice cut through the air behind her. She didn't turn to him, though. "Y'all don't control a damn thing I do."

That made Beth turn her head and Merle's eye's caught hers. There was a mutual understanding there, and Beth let out a loud breath. She had an ally.

"Blondie, ya wanna go after him? I'll be right there with ya, but goin' back into Woodbury won't work. Governor'll have it all locked down."

"So, we do what then? Meet him out in the open?"

Merle shrugged. "Not too much in the open. Or we call a meetin' then don't show up and take back Daryl that way."

"We have a council," Hershel said quietly. "All matters'll be voted on before anythin' final is said."

"Then come up with plans," Beth said to the group that had gathered around. "Come tomorrow, he'll be gettin' a message about somethin'."

Beth walked toward the cell she shared with Daryl. Even though they had said they were moving out to the tower again, they hadn't done it yet with everything that had been going on.

He could very well already be dead, but she wasn't going to believe that. Daryl was a fighter, and he was strong. Whatever they dealt out, he'd take it, and he'd never say a word because that's just the man he was.

Daryl Dixon was strong, and he had taught her how to be strong, too. In little moments, after they first met and she was so green it was embarrassing, he taught her to fight. He might have pushed her into the fire, but he held her hand as he did it. He had been her rock, and if she thought for a moment, she could figure out a way to get him back.

She closed her eyes and tried to think of what he would say to her that didn't involve, "Get the fuck away and never try to find me." That would be his gut reaction, to push her out of harm's way.

So, she tried to think of what he would do if he were in her shoes.

Merle was right; going back to Woodbury would be stupid. They'd be expecting it, maybe not all of them, but at least Michonne to help her friend.

They needed a way to get them out of Woodbury but not show their strength. If someone like Rick made the peace offering, it would fail because he was too unstable still. Beth knew that he wasn't a bad guy. He was still hurting over his wife's death, and now, he was guilty over what happened with Daryl.

He might have shrugged it off, but Beth could see his eyes. They were full of pain and regret. She'd caught him looking to Judith and closing his eyes. He knew what he'd done. He knew what they'd possibly lost.

Daryl was a good man. He had his head on straight, and he sacrificed for this group even though he didn't know them when they met. He took Rick's looks and lack of trust and pushed through it.

He had shown every single person in this group what kind of man he was, and Beth was sure now that even Merle knew that Daryl, at his core, wasn't like other Dixons. Maybe he'd always been that way, and Merle tried to break him of the habit, but it hadn't worked.

"They'll kill him," Merle's voice caused her to jump a little and open her eyes. "Sorry," he muttered.

"It's okay," she said and looked at her hands. "How much time do ya think we have."

"Fuck if I know."

Beth nodded. "We can't send in a bunch of people. We can't appear a threat, and we sure as hell can't show this prison as habitable."

Merle gripped the cell bar and cleared his throat. "These people here are still too weak to face this. They'll try and talk their way out of it, ya get me?" Beth looked up and held his stare. "This man can't be talked to. Ya have to go in guns blazin' or he'll come back. If he ain't dead when this is over, it ain't really over."

"I figured as much." Beth stood up and walked to the desk where a shirt of Daryl's lay on folded up. "What do ya think?"

The silence closed them in for several long minutes before he asked, "Ya ready to die for him?"

Beth traced the collar of his shirt, fingering the hole there, wondering if he'd ever wear it again. "I'll do whatever it takes." She turned toward Merle and asked, "Will you?"

"He's my brother."

"Ya left him once already," she pointed out.

"Yeah," he agreed. "I ain't the best brother, but I'm still his blood. I got him into this shit, and I'll get him out."

Beth hummed, her eyes caught her bow in the corner. "We'll get him out."

* * *

"So, let me get this straight," Glenn said quietly. "You want to send him a message, telling him to meet you at some random high school between there and here, so you can argue your case for Daryl to be set free?"

Beth looked to Merle and then to the rest of the group. "It's important that he doesn't know about the prison or the rest of you. Daryl won't talk, and neither will I."

"You're not doin' this, Beth," her father said with a strong shake of his head.

"You can't stop me." Beth cleared her throat. "It won't be a meetin', Merle and I'll go and we'll make sure it doesn't ever move further than that, and we'll get Daryl once it's done."

"How do ya plan to do that?" Rick asked. His hand was rubbing his forehead and he couldn't even look up at them.

"We'll figure somethin' out," Merle said. "We're just lettin' ya know. The message goes out in the morning. Stay here. Keep an eye out. Get ready to run if necessary."

The room was nothing but tense silence and Beth wondered what everyone was thinking. Did they looked at her and see another dead girl that wouldn't return, or did they see the fighter she could be? It didn't surprise her when everyone spoke up against the plan. All of them saying she was too weak, too young, too inexperienced.

"I'll get him back," Rick said. "I'll talk to his _Governor_ ," he spit the title and continued, "and we'll get Daryl."

Beth sighed. "Fine," she muttered and stood up. "If his blood wasn't already on your hands, it is now."

No one stopped her, and no one noticed when she went to check snares the next morning that Merle followed after her.

It wasn't until it was too late that anyone realized they were gone. It would take them even longer to figure out that the high school wasn't the place they planned for the meeting either.

* * *

"Call me crazy, but drinkin' doesn't seem like the best idea right now," Beth said as she sat in the busted leather seat of the Cadillac DeVille they'd stolen. Rock blared from the speakers as they cruised down the road at a solid fifteen miles an hour, walkers trailing them.

"If I'm about to die, I sure as shit won't be sober for it," he muttered then offered her the bottle.

"No, thank you. Me and drinkin' don't agree with each other, and I'd rather be on my toes."

"Daryl get ya wasted or was it one of those farm parties? Good girls and boys stealin' daddy's liquor and gettin' frisky in the barn?"

"They call 'em 'pasture parties, and I didn't ever steal anythin' of daddy's. He's not a drinker any more."

Merle snorted. "Reformed?"

"Recoverin'," Beth said and looked at the side window.

"Same thing. Some bitch got her claws in him, and then that was that."

Beth watched the trees pass by and saw the walkers out of the corner of her eye follow. "It doesn't matter how or why he changed, just that he changed for the better. You're brother didn't change near as much as ya think he did. He only stopped hidin' who he was."

Merle took a long pull from the whiskey bottle he'd found in the back floorboard. "I've known exactly who my brother was long before you came into the picture." He paused. "He's got too much of momma in him. I'm surprised the old man didn't beat it out, but hell, even if she was a drunk, she was still a nice one. Guess Daryl still stayed nice despite the scars."

"In spite of," she said automatically. "He never wanted to be like his father."

Merle's jaw ticked. "Don't ya know everythin'."

"I know that he's got his name and looks just like him, so that's where it needed to end."

Beth watched as his hand squeezed the steering wheel so hard his knuckles turned white, but Merle didn't say anything else.

She went back to looking out the window, thinking about the events of the day so far. Getting the message in had been ridiculously easy. Merle pointed her in the direction of the wall that held the newest recruits, and she'd plainly said, "This is for the Governor. Get it to him now. It's a matter or life or death."

The note itself was simple.

 _To whoever you are,_

 _You're holding someone that's not yours. Any actions against you weren't his. We'll trade you Michonne for him. Dusk, the old feed mill. No one needs to be hurt. A simple trade is all we ask._

 _Please._

 _Beth_

Merle said the Governor would get there early, so they'd drive up on the place, jump out of the car and let the walkers follow it. From a building, they'd shoot as many people as possible and try like hell to kill that bastard that took Daryl.

The plan was full of holes and left them out in the open, but the old mill was surrounded by woods. If they made it behind the silos, they were in the clear.

They both knew that Daryl wouldn't be there. That bargaining chip wouldn't be played so soon on the Governor's part. They'd still need to find him, but the important thing was killing the Governor.

They could have sent Rick and let him play the ambassador. They could have sat at a table, and carefully played a game of mental chess, but it all would have led to this final outcome anyway.

People would die, and Beth would like very much if it wasn't her own people.

"Whatcha thinkin' about so hard?" Merle asked, his words more slurred than before.

"Everythin'."

"Think we'll die?"

Beth shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe we should already be dead. Maybe this is hell or somethin'."

"Then let's walk through as quick as we fuckin' can before the devil finds out we're here."

The laughter that escaped her lips was manic. Merle didn't say anything, just passed her the bottle. This time she took a swig and coughed before passing it back.

One time wouldn't hurt.

Just to calm the nerves.

* * *

Daryl's car rolled up the gates, and he hobbled out before running the rest of the way.

"Where is she?" he asked Axel, who was manning the gate.

He looked scared and said, "We don't know."

Once he was inside, Daryl barreled into C Block. All eyes shifted to him and everyone stared in shock.

"Y'all just let her go?" His voice was rough and high.

"We didn't let her do anythin'," Maggie said through tears. "She went to check snares and never came back. Rick, Glenn, and Oscar went to the place they were supposed to schedule the meeting at, but they haven't come back yet either."

Daryl swallowed and closed his eyes. "Where?"

"The high school in Newnan."

"Bullshit," Daryl muttered and rubbed his head. "Where's Merle?"

"With Beth," Carol said quietly. "Or at least, they disappeared the same time this morning."

There was no place he could look, a single shred of evidence to go on. He could run the roads until that car ran out of gas, and he would never find her. Merle and her had come up with some fucked up scheme that was half-baked and full of emotion. They wanted blood, and he would have, too, if it had been her.

His head swam, and he was dizzy, so fucking dizzy. He reached for the railing and missed landing hard against the cement floor.

So many places to look. So many possibilities.

He was hurt. He was weaponless, and he was completely broken thinking about what would happen to her if the Governor got his hands on her.

Soft hands touched his shoulders and rough ones felt his forehead.

He opened his eyes and saw the same blue as Beth's in her father's eyes. "Jimmy alive?"

"Yes," Hershel answered. "It'll take time, but he'll recover."

Daryl nodded. "Michonne show back up?"

"No," he whispered.

Daryl fought against their hold and stood back up. "Need somethin' to eat then I'm goin' back to Woodbury."

"What? Why?" Maggie asked. "Rick'll straighten this out. He always does."

"They ain't gonna find shit at no high school," Daryl said with heavy sigh. "I'ma burn it all down."

"Woodbury?" Carl asked, his eyes wide with concern.

"I'll burn the whole fuckin' world down if she don't come back."

The declaration was full of promise but said so easily that it didn't even sound pretentious—even to his own ears.

Worse came to worse, he would fuck up as much shit as he could before they got to him.

* * *

They could tell that the Governor's men were already there. Most of them were facing the main road, but Merle had purposefully driven behind the mill.

The girl beside him took a deep breath and held the bow tightly on her lap. She didn't look like any type of woman he'd ever been with or any girl that he imagined his brother with. She wasn't even really a woman yet in his eyes. Just some stupid kid—like his baby brother.

"You ain't gonna freeze up on me, right?"

She turned toward him and shook her head. "No. We take care of this now."

"Then we'll get him back," Merle said and looked forward again.

There was a part of him that doubted her and doubted that Daryl was still breathing, but those parts had no business taking up space in his thoughts at that moment. He'd been waiting for this moment for a long time.

When he'd left Locust Grove, he'd been bored and figured a little time on the road would do him some good. He didn't take Daryl along because he didn't want to chance him. Then it all fell apart, and Merle found himself in the debt of a man that was much worse than his old man.

At least his pops had been up front about being a piece of shit, the Governor was so bad that he had found a way to cover it all up with a smile and a laugh.

He kept thanking God or whoever was listening that he'd left Daryl safe in that camp, but then he'd done got himself into shit and the Governor was going to end up killing him anyway.

"Tuck and roll, blondie."

"Good luck," she said and gripped the door handle.

He almost told her it back, but she was already diving out of the car, not tucking and rolling at all, but landing on her feet and running low to the nearest building. It really didn't make sense to fall out of the car since they were going so slow, but he blamed it on the booze.

Maybe she had been right when she said this wasn't the time to be getting drunk.

That time had passed, though, so it didn't matter anymore.

Merle was on his feet and dodging walkers as he got to the same building she went into. There were windows that pointed out so they could shoot, and he readied his gun as he quietly shut the door.

He found Beth already positioned at window, sending off arrows with dead-on accuracy. He broke out a windowpane and lined up a shot, and slowly they took down men that were fighting walkers.

All of sudden a shadow fell over them and Beth's head got yanked back by her blonde ponytail. Merle didn't have time to turn his gun on the person before a boot landed hard in the center of chest, pushing him down. His gun was kicked away, but he grabbed for it anyway as it skidded under a table.

"Look what the cat dragged in," the Governor said as he eyed Merle. "Y'all are causin' an awful lot of trouble for people who just want a trade, and Merle, why are you even here at all?"

Before he could smart off, Beth threw her elbow back as hard as she could into his stomach and the fight they'd been aiming for was on.


	26. Chapter 26

Ch. 26

Thank you all so much for reviewing.

Someone asked how Daryl had escaped Woodbury, and that was detailed at the end of Ch. 24.

Epilogue will post Tuesday.

* * *

The Governor hunched over a little and let out a small whooshing noise, but he never let go of her hair. In fact, he pulled harder, making her scalp burn and her eyes tear up.

Merle tried to move toward the gun that was on the floor, and the Governor threw her against the wall as hard as he could and stepped down firmly on Merle's good hand. He growled and threw a shoulder in the man's knees, causing him to buckle. Beth knew that Merle regretted it almost as soon as he did it because an elbow landed squarely on the back on his neck.

Beth scrambled toward her bow, but she only had an arrow left and her head was swimming a little from the impact with the wall.

Merle and the Governor continued to fight, rolling around on the floor and trading solid, bone-crunching punches. A screech from Merle made her ears ring, and she had to shake her head to rid herself of the echo.

Finally, she got her arrow in and pulled back at the same time the Governor had Merle pressed against a fallen piece of siding. They were at an angle, and Beth didn't have a good shot, so she moved around.

Her eyes followed the movement as the Governor reached for something behind his back, and she pulled back the bowstring, taking a deep, woozy breath. The gun was big and so much deadlier when it was in the hand of someone that you knew was evil and capable of killing.

"I ain't gonna beg ya," Merle gritted out.

Beth admired that fire and tried to take some of it and use as ammo to help her line up her bow.

The Governor's next words made her crumble, though. "Ya know, I've heard that once already today, too." He stared down at Merle. "I've even seen that same look." It all clicked in the Governor's eyes and his lips twisted in a cruel smirk.

"Where the fuck is my brother," Merle ground out and stood up straight. His knife hand was ready to punch forward even though Beth was still reeling too much to straighten the bow.

The Governor laughed, and it made her skin crawl. "Guess there's one less Dixon in the world or there's about to be."

He pulled the gun up, and Beth gasped and drew the bowstring. She aimed and breathed and thought of her training, but when the arrow flew it missed its mark. She wanted the throat, but it was too low and too left and it went straight through his wrist.

Merle dove toward the table as she'd released the arrow and the Governor's bullet hit blank wood before he dropped the gun entirely and held onto his forearm.

He turned to face her, but Merle had the gun so his focus shifted.

"I'm gonna kill ya both," he said as he started to back away. "First, I'm gonna make sure your brother never sees the light of day again." Merle pulled the trigger and there was a dull clicking sound as it signaled it was empty. "Gotta learn to keep count, Merle. Play smart."

He turned for the door right as Beth caught sight of gleaming steel. It was only a split second before it pierced through the Governor's stomach and went straight out his back. He curled over and gaped at Michonne in the shadows.

"You," he whispered.

"Me," she said.

Michonne walked him back into the middle of the room, put a boot on his stomach, and pulled the katana out. The Governor fell to his knees before her, clutching his stomach as blood leaked over his hands and onto the floor.

"I'd let you change," she told him, "but then I'd just have to worry about seeing you again."

His humorless laugh was wet and it made him cough, blood splattering before him on the wood floors. With a single licked of his bottom lip, he nodded.

The sword flashed through the air, severing his head from his shoulders in one single motion. Then in another, just as easily, she slammed the blade into his skull.

For several moments, they shared a heavy silence before Michonne asked, "Can you both walk?"

Beth nodded and held tight to her bow. Merle stood up from his place on the floor and tossed the gun aside. It was in that moment that Beth noticed his hand was bleeding, and he was holding it against his chest.

"We need to leave then."

Beth followed Michonne and Merle followed her out of the side door and past the silos and into the woods. Never once stopping to look for men following them or walkers nearby. If there was one, Michonne took care of it easily.

Only when they were a good ways away did Michonne stop and turn on them. "I barely found you in time," she said to Beth. "I've been waiting for my chance since that night, and I almost lost him then you'd be dead."

"I'd be dead, too," Merle muttered as he cradled his hand. "Motherfucker bit off two of my fingers."

"Oh God," Beth said and reached for his hands.

"Don't need ya actin' like I'm dyin'," Merle told her and pulled his hand closer to his body. "Ya got the shit knocked out of you, blondie. How's the head?"

"It hurts," she told him. The throbbing was getting worse, and she was sick to her stomach. "We need to get home, though. We'll need help gettin' Daryl from Woodbury."

Michonne seemed to agree with that nodded her head into the woods. "This way to the prison. We'll stick to the woods then find a car. Neither one of you is in any condition to walk all the way back."

With rock music still filtering through the trees, Beth took a steadying breath before she fell into line behind Michonne.

* * *

Beth laid across the backseat of the small SUV they found while Merle sat shotgun. They told her not to fall asleep, but she was starting to think the only thing that would make her headache go away _was_ sleep.

"Just a bit further, Beth," Michonne said in a very soothing, yet tense voice.

"I'm fine," she said quietly. "I didn't even get knocked out."

"Just because you didn't lose consciousness, doesn't mean that you're completely fine."

Beth sighed and closed her eyes against the light. She drifted in and out for a long time it seemed then she heard Merle's raised voice, "Well, fuck me."

"What's wrong?" She asked, her eyes still closed.

"I drove around Woodbury, and you won't believe who's loading up with weapons just inside the tree line," Michonne told her.

"The Governor's eviler twin brother?" Beth asked, clearly still feeling the effects of the lump on her head.

The car rolled to a stop, and Merle hopped out. "What the hell are you doin', baby brother?"

Beth sat up and their eyes seemed to lock instantly. He was dropping his bow and running for the car.

And just like that, one minute she was alone, and the next she was back with him.

"That was so, so stupid, girl." His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Tell me you wouldn't have done the same for me," she said and stroked his hair. "I'm fine. Just a little bumped up."

"I'll kill him," Daryl growled and his scanned her face, looking for anything that told him what had happened.

"Michonne beat you to it, and beside, I'm pretty good in comparison to your brother. He lost two fingers."

Daryl whipped his head around to Merle who was now leaning against the doorframe.

"Done lost my right hand. Now I'm missin' my pinkie and ring finger on the left. I keep this up, I ain't never gonna be able to jerk off again."

"That would be your concern," Michonne said and looked straight ahead.

Daryl pulled Beth from the backseat and over toward the car he had taken from the prison. Beth remembered it as being one they had packed down just in case they needed to run.

"Rick, Glenn, and Oscar went looking for y'all at the high school, but I knew y'all weren't goin' there."

"So what was your plan?"

"I's gonna set it on fire."

Beth touched his face and leaned against him. "Take me home, please. And not that cell either. To the tower. I just want to be home."

Daryl nodded and said, "Y'all head back in this one, and I'll follow with Beth in the other car."

Merle hopped back into the passenger seat, and Daryl helped Beth to the passenger side of his car.

"Everything'll be better now."

"Everythin' was fine until Michonne and Merle came along," Beth said then quickly backtracked. "I don't mean it in a bad way. I like them. I just wish none of this had ever happened."

"Me, too."

The rest of the car ride, Daryl held Beth's hand and steered with the other. She closed her eyes and let herself feel the security of him beside her again. Now, they all needed to avoid any Woodbury people from then on.

* * *

Daryl was twisting his fingers together as he sat before everyone in C block. Rick and the others had gotten back shortly after they had, and while they didn't get into an argument, the looks between the two of them weren't good at all.

"Someone helped me escape from Woodbury." Daryl started out staring at the table then his eyes shifted to Michonne. "It was Andrea. She said that she had no idea that he was holding me prisoner. She still didn't seem to believe what he was going to do when I left either, but she kept trying to come along."

He cleared his throat. "After talking to her for a bit, I found out that y'all all knew her before. She got lost after the farm like Beth did."

" _Our_ Andrea was one of the Governor's pawns?" Carol asked, shocked by that information. "She seemed so much smarter than that."

Daryl shrugged. "Don't know her. Don't care." He looked at Beth. "Didn't tell her about y'all either. Figured I'd let ya decide if y'all wanted her to know where y'all were at."

Rick tapped the table. "If she's a way to develop a peaceful relationship with Woodbury then we need to try and talk to her."

"And tell her that we killed her boyfriend?" Merle asked and rolled his eyes. "That's stupid."

"I killed the Governor," Michonne said. "She doesn't have to know I'm here yet."

After a lengthy back and forth, it was decided that in a week's time, Rick would go to Woodbury with Hershel and Daryl. They'd figure out a way to live despite everything that had happened.

Never once did anyone think that the residents of Woodbury, particularly the inner circle, would be happy to see the Governor gone.

Well, Merle had, she thought, but no one paid attention to him.

Beth watched him walk away and up to a cell and wondered if there was something under the surface like there had been with Daryl, but he wasn't able to grasp it yet.

That went as quickly as it came, though, because Daryl led her out of the cellblock and into the tower that they had called home for so many months.

"This is so much better," she whispered and laid down on the pillows and blankets that he'd already brought up.

"Ya know, since your people got here, there's been way too much drama. I think it was better when we was on our own."

Beth met his stare and saw equal parts honesty and guilt in that statement.

"I know," she whispered. "I think Rick was lookin' for a fight. He needed to get out the pain that came from Lori's death, and this was a good way to do it."

"He almost got me and Jimmy killed 'cause he didn't wanna leave."

"I don't think we should let 'em know we're here," Beth admitted. "The less people know, the better."

"I think so, too, but it ain't just us anymore."

Beth snuggled further into the pillow. "We make a better team than anyone else."

His arms wrapped around her and pulled her to him. "We do."

* * *

In the following week, Beth and Daryl spent so much time in the tower, people started to think they'd left. It's quieter up there, and the door locked, and they had privacy. He almost lost her and she almost lost him so reconnecting happened a lot.

Sweet, soft, and breathless. Fast, rough, and hard.

There's all different variations, but they all felt just as good as the last, and they all reminded him that she was there with him, and for some reason, she loved him.

Duty called, though, and they checked snares and ate with the group most evenings. No one said anything about the new sleeping arrangement, and even if they had, it wouldn't have changed a damn thing.

In the middle of the week, Michonne went out on a run and came back hours later. She gathered everyone around, and Daryl was sure she was going to tell them some really horrible news about a herd or Woodbury, but she didn't.

"Andrea is in charge at Woodbury. The people that were left after the attack at the feed mill let her take over without any fuss. She's spending a lot of time reinforcing the walls and building a bigger garden. She wants nothing from us or this prison."

There's a loaded silence around the table before Rick said, "You went and talked to her without us?"

"Yes," she answered easily. "We needed to clear the air."

"What about our plan?"

Michonne shrugged. "I didn't like it. It's handled, though. She knows you're here, and she said she'd make the trip out to see everyone soon."

"So, that's it then?" Carol asked in a hurt voice. "Just like that."

"It's been a long time since we've seen her," Glenn said. "She probably thought we were long gone or dead by now."

It was that moment that Daryl realized that the original members of this group were as close to a family as anyone could get. Maggie and Hershel were rooted in there now, too, but him and Beth would never be that close. Not to the originals. They were outsiders because they had been gone just as long as Andrea. Plus, Daryl never knew them in the first place.

Maybe one day in the far off future, they would look at him and her and see family, but it wasn't today and it wouldn't be tomorrow. They were here because of Hershel and Maggie Greene.

"This was just a speed bump in the road," T-Dog says from the corner of the room. He'd been quiet lately, tending to read more scripture with Hershel than anything else. "We get back to work. Prepare the garden and make this place, _the_ place."

Everyone nodded.

This was it. Daryl Dixon's final residence was going to be a prison after all.


	27. Chapter 27

Epilogue

Thank you all so much for reading and reviewing! I know this story was different, so I appreciate it if you stuck with it.

While I do have another Bethyl story I want to tell, I'll be waiting to publish anything else until after 6B completes.

* * *

The following Fall

Daryl stood up and walked to the edge of the cell door. People were moving around downstairs and he normally didn't sleep so late, but he had watch the night before and took the opportunity to get in some extra rest since he had nothing important to do today.

The last few months had been rocky. They established a treaty of sorts with Woodbury, saying that no one from the town or the prison would cross the river that created their boundary line.

So far, it had worked well. They sent messengers both ways sometimes if they were hurting for supplies or to note the general uptick in walker movement, but Andrea seemed very at home leading Woodbury and didn't show any interest in reconnecting with her previous group on a more personal level.

It didn't bother Daryl or Beth for that matter. They knew better than anyone that people changed. Daryl, when he left Locust Grove, and Beth, when she survived on her on then helped him with the prison before the others got there.

It was the way of the world.

After he tugged on his boots, he went down the metal stairs and found Beth sitting at the table with a bowl of steaming soup in front of her. The garden had been a great idea, the canning even better. Their stores would hold them through the winter as long as him and Beth were able to provide the meat.

"Want some?" Beth asked, sliding over her bowl. "This is my second helping. I'm full now."

He liked knowing that. She wasn't starving no more, and she had some meat back on her bones. Daryl was filling out again, too.

"How long ya been awake?" He asked before digging into the food.

"A while. I helped with breakfast and then heating up this for lunch. I spent some time with Judith and checked the snares. It's really been an easy day so far."

He nodded his head. "Thinkin' about goin' for a hunt. Wanna go with me?"

Beth leaned against him and whispered. "Are ya sure ya wouldn't rather go out and look for your brother?"

The spoon stopped midair then he sat it back down in the bowl. "He left a note. He knows where we are and how to get back."

"He's your family, though," she spoke quietly and took his hand. "He's been gone for weeks. Shouldn't we check?"

The truth was, Daryl wanted to take a truck and drive the hour or so to the camp he used to call home, but he was terrified that Merle wouldn't be there. Sometimes it was better to just let someone live in your mind than find out the truth in person.

"I don't wanna go," he told her. "Merle's okay. Locust Grove is his home. Filled with people like him. I told ya once before, Merle comes and goes. We'll see him again, but only when he's ready to come back for a visit."

"Okay," she agreed. "We'll wait for him to come see us."

Daryl seriously doubted that Merle would ever come back. He wasn't really hurt by it. That's just what his brother did. He got out of the mess he made with the Governor, helped Daryl, or at least he thought he had, and he stuck around to make sure things would run smoothly.

Then one morning, he took off into the woods, and later Daryl found his note.

"Seems like the cold got here sooner this year," he said to change the topic.

Beth hummed and looked up at the cell they just moved into again. The tower had been a good home for them during the nice months, but it was a bitch when it was cold, and Daryl didn't like her being cold.

"It's good to be back inside anyway. I can help Maggie and Carol a lot easier from in here than out there. Plus, there's Judith, and Daddy has that cough."

Daryl nodded. He loved being out there on their own, but he did recognize the ease of being around the group. Him and Beth might not have been around for a few months, but slowly that was changing and they were closing the gap on the time they had spent apart and the time they had spent together as a family.

Rick had taken back over in a way, but there was still a council. They had decided together not to take in any new people for a while. They needed to get on their own two feet before they brought in more mouths to feed. Plus, people were shitty. Daryl wouldn't trust anyone outside this cellblock for the rest of his days.

"Ya know, we should fire up the bike and take a ride before it gets too cold," Beth said out of the blue.

Daryl felt his lips turn up and he said, "I think that'll be a good idea, sweetheart."

* * *

Winter had been terrible in more ways than one.

An illness broke out and nearly everyone had come down with it, some far worse than others. Beth and Maggie worked tirelessly tending to her daddy and Glenn even though they were both sick, too.

When Daryl fell sick, Beth worked between her father and him. Maggie helped with Hershel, too, and kept Glenn alive.

Everyone had someone to look after, but eventually it became too much.

Axel died first then T-Dog. The last one to go was also their smallest.

It took Beth weeks to not feel like someone had cut a hole inside her chest. She'd watched helplessly as the baby, nearly a year old, had struggled to breath and no matter what they did, they couldn't fix it.

Rick had lost it. Carl was inconsolable. Daryl wept in the corner of her cell as she passed. Beth stood numb and cold, almost like she was watching it all happen from outside her body.

Her daddy, weak as he was, made sure things never took a turn, and she was buried beside her mother out in the prison yard.

Just like the grey clouds blanketed the sky, silence covered the prison for a very long time. The people left regained their strength and life somehow continued on, but it was done with a sense of routine. No one was living. They were all walking through.

Judith had been their hope and happiness.

Like all things in this new, cruel world, it was taken from them, and they were forced to move on because there was no way they could make the days stop. Time remained undefeated.

* * *

Spring brought sunshine and made the world seem like it wouldn't suck forever. Still, there was a grave in the yard that didn't belong there, and a sense of sadness he couldn't shake.

She hadn't been his baby, and now he knew just how right Beth had been.

Losing Judith had devastated him, but he couldn't imagine the pain that coursed through Rick on a daily basis. His daughter. His blood.

Maybe in a different life, him and Beth could have lived in a small house out in the woods and had a couple of kids. Her blonde hair and his blue eyes and everything would be perfection. Now, there wasn't an option for that. He wouldn't stand beside his child's bed and watch them stop breathing.

Careful was the name of the game, and it would stay that way forever.

* * *

Summer came and it was a fucking scorcher.

Daryl couldn't drink enough water, but it seemed like the extreme heat was getting the walkers just like the bad cold did. They were slow and stumbling around. Most of them that made it to the prison were older ones. He was happy to see them slowly decaying back into the earth, but it wasn't happening fast enough.

They piled up on the fence and nearly brought it down again, but a couple of well-placed cop cars fixed the problem. A couple of weeks after that incident, a bus pulled up to the front gates of the prison and Andrea walked out of it.

Rick waved for them to open the gates and let her in along with the bus, and once they were inside, she told him about Woodbury.

The thirty people in the bus were all that remained from a community that had been thriving. The reason was shocking and unreal.

A little girl, she couldn't have been more than eleven or twelve, had let the walkers inside. She claimed that they weren't bad. They were her friends. Woodbury was overrun in minutes. The residents scattered or dead.

"We need a place, Rick," she asked with a heavy sigh. "We've brought what we could salvage. Someone started a fire to keep the walkers back, but it just lit everything up around it since it's been so dry and hot. We're at your mercy."

Rick looked to the people in his group. Daryl nodded. He didn't like it but they couldn't let these people die—couldn't let them starve.

Soon, the others were showing their acceptance, too.

"You'll take D," Rick said. "We'll figure out how to live together. Everyone pulls their own weight."

"We know," she said and went to tell her people what the new deal was.

It took a while to work out the new living arrangements and to assign jobs to all the new people, but for the most part, it was okay. He didn't have fence duty every day or watch, so he and Beth had more time to hunt and set traps.

More people meant they needed more food and since it was already summer and the garden had been planted, they really had no other option than to ration more and hope they could scavenge stuff when it got colder.

Daryl tried to be positive, but it was hard sometimes when all he saw was loss.

* * *

Winter was a vicious bitch again. People got sick all over. Medicine was scarce, and some people in D died. More graves were dug, and more prayers said to a God that Daryl wasn't sure existed but seem to bring peace to these people.

"At least we have food," Beth whispered as they lay in bed together. "We have fire, too."

"I know," he said and brushed her hair off her forehead. "It feels like we're just waitin' our turn to die."

Beth shook her head. "No, me and you'll be around forever."

"Right," he said with a snort.

"I'm serious," she said and he pulled back and stared at her. "We may die one day, but everything we've done will live on. People will remember us."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," she said with a smile. "They'll tell stories about a boy and a girl that fell in love in the middle of hell, and they might not use our real names, but the story will be true none the less."

"So, you're callin' it. We're gonna die one day?"

"Someday," she answered without a pause. "Not today, though."

He took a steadying breath and thought about what she said.

Truly, all he wanted was this, to have her in his arms. She was the only thing that mattered to him at all, and if that was his story, then it was a good one. He thought about who he had been when she'd found him, and he was better. He was a good man in a world that didn't necessarily value _good_ anymore.

Daryl hugged her to him and kissed her hair.

Yeah, if that was what people would remember, if they told random stories about two people meeting in this shit and loving and surviving, that would be a fitting ending to his story. It would be a happy ending.

It was the only thing he wanted, and for today, he had it.


End file.
